been declared accursed; and was given up into the hands of the Romans, in order that he might, in the strictest sense, "be made a curse for us." Finally, had the decree gone forth, "The soul that sinneth it shall die?" He filled up the measure of his sufferings by death, and effected our deliverance by "giving his own life a ransom for us " It may be said indeed, that we had deserved eternal misery; whereas that which he endured, was but for a time. This is true; nevertheless there was no defect in his payment: because his temporary suf ferings were equivalent to the eternal sufferings of all the human race; equivalent, as far as related to the ends for which they were inflicted, to the honour of the divine perfections, and the equity of God's moral government. Indeed the value of his sufferings infinitely surpassed all that ever could have been endured by man: if the whole world of sinners had been suffering for millions of ages, the demands of the law would never have been satisfied; eternity itself must have been the duration of their torments: but the dignity of Christ's nature, as God over all, stamped an infinite worth on all that he did and suffered. Hence his death was a full, perfect, and sufficient propitiation for the sins of the whole world: in the hour of his death he "blotted out the hand-writing that was against us, nailing it to his cross." Thus was our debt wholly cancelled; and "there now remains no condemnation to them that believe in him."

Having this glorious end in view, he exhibited, throughout the whole of his sufferings, the most wonderful magnanimity in

II. His behaviour under them.

Nothing can exceed the beauty and propriety of the images, by which our Lord's patience is here illustrated. As a sheep, when the shearer is stripping it of its clothing, makes neither noise, nor resistance; and as a lamb sports about even while driving to the slaughter, yea, and licks the very hand that is lifted up to slay it,

Crucifixion was not a Jewish but a Roman punishment.

so our blessed Lord endured all his sufferings silently, willingly, and with expressions of love to his very mur. derers.

Twice is his silence noticed in the text, because it indicated a self-government, which, under his circumstances, no created being could have exercised. The most eminent saints have opened their mouths in complaints both against God and man. Job, that distinguished pattern of patience even cursed the day of his birth. Moses, the meekest of the sons of men, that had withstood numberless provocations, yet, at last, spake so unadvisedly with his lips, that he was excluded, on account of it, from the earthly Canaan. And even the apostle Paul, than whom no human being ever attained an higher eminence in any grace, broke forth into “revilings against God's high priest," who had ordered him to be smitten contrary to the law. But "there was no guile in the lips of Jesus;" nor did he ever once open his mouth in a sinful or unbecoming manner. On one occasion indeed he expostulates with his God and Father," My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" But herein he did not express the smallest degree of impatience, or of murmuring against God. As a man, he could not but feel, and, as a good man, he could not but bewail the loss of the divine presence; and in this complaint he has shewn us the intenseness of his own sufferings, and the manner in which every good man ought to plead with God in an hour of distress and trouble. Nor did he ever utter any vindictive threatenings against his enemies. He foretold indeed the destruction which they would bring upon themselves when they should have filled up the measure of their iniquities: but this he did with tears and sorrow of heart, not to intimidate them, but to express his affection for them. His silence before the tribunal of Pilate was not a stubborn or scornful silence, but a meek and dignified resignation of himself to the will of his blood-thirsty enemies. How easily could he have retorted all their charges upon them, and put both his judge and his accusers to shame! But his time was come; and he would not but that all the prophecies should be accomplished in him. Moreover

when he was smitten unjustly before the very seat of justice, he made no other reply than this; "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but, if well, why smitest thou me?" Thus in the midst of all the cruelties and indignities that could be offered him, he never once uttered an angry, a vindictive, or an unadvised word.

Indeed there was not only a submission, but a perfect willingness, on his part, to bear all that he was called to suffer. When first he became our surety, and it was proposed to him to assume our nature for that purpose, he replied, "Lo, I come, I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart." When Peter would have dissuaded him from subjecting himself to the miseries which were coming upon him, our Lord rebuked him with a just severity, as the very first-born of satan; since none could more effectually do the part of satan, than he, who should attempt to divert him from his purpose of suffering in the place of sinners. "With great earnestness did he desire to eat the last passover with his disciples," and "to be baptized with his bloody baptism;" yea, and "was greatly straitened till it should be accomplished." He might easily have escaped, when Judas with a band of soldiers came to apprehend him in the garden; but, notwithstanding "he knew all things that were coming upon him," he voluntarily went up to them, and asked them, whom they sought: and, after he had shewn them by one exercise of his power that he could easily have struck them all dead upon the spot, even as Elijah had done before him, he gave himself up into their hands, stipulating however for his disciples, as he had long since done (in effect) with his heavenly Father for us, "If ye seek me, let these go their way." At the time of his death also, to convince the people that his nature was not exhausted, he with an exceeding loud voice committed his spirit into his Father's hands, shewing thereby that no man took his life from him, but that he laid it down of himself: and the evan

VOL. II.

f Ps. xl. 6-8.

8 John xviii. 6.

Z z

gelist particularly marked this by saying, "He dismissed his Spirit. "b

In the midst of all his sufferings he abounded in expressions of love to his very murderers. When he came within sight of that infatuated, that malignant city, instead of feeling any resentment, he wept over it, and pathetically lamented the invincible obstinacy which would shortly involve it in utter ruin. Many, even thousands of its blood-thirsty inhabitants, were interested in that intercessory prayer, which he offered on the very eve of his crucifixion; the blessed effects of which were fully manifested on the day of pentecost. While he yet hanged on the cross, instead of accusing them to his Father, he prayed for them, and even pleaded their ignorance in extenuation of their guilt; "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." And after he had risen triumphant from the grave, he still manifested the same unbounded compassion, directing his disciples to make the offers of salvation first to that very people, who had treated him with such consummate cruelty; and to assure them, that the blood which they had shed, was ready to cleanse them from the guilt of shedding it.

Such was the behaviour of our blessed Lord, every way suited to his august character, and calculated to promote the great ends of his mission: for while, by his sufferings, he paid the penalty that was due from us, and thus "finished transgression, and made an end of sin," he fulfilled also the obedience which the law required, and "brought in for sinners an everlasting righteous

ness. "k

This subject, replete with wonder, affords us, first, an occasion for thankfulness.

Let us for a moment endeavour to realize our state before God, We have sinned againt him: we have multiplied our transgressions: they are more in number than the stars of heaven, or the sands upon the sea shore. We owe to God a debt of ten thousand talents; and are un

h Matt. xxvii. 50. *Apyne Tò ævεõμa. Dan. ix. 24.

f Luke xxiv. 47,

able to pay the least farthing towards it. What if we exert ourselves to serve God better in future? if we could live as angels in future, we could make no satisfaction for our past transgressions: the not continuing to increase a debt would not discharge the debt already incurred. But we cannot help adding to the score every day we live. What then should we do, if we had not a surety? Where should we hide ourselves from our creditor? How should we contrive to elude his search, or to withstand his power? Alas! our case would be pitiable indeed. But adored be the name of our God, who has " laid help upon One that is mighty!" Adored be that Jesus, who undertook to pay the price of our redemption, and who says, "Deliver him from going down to the pit, for I have found a ransom.""

To view our situation aright let us consider ourselves, like Isaac, already devoted to death, and the arm of God himself uplifted to inflict the fatal stroke. When there seemed no prospect whatever of deliverance, mercy interposed to avert the impending ruin: and Jesus, like the ram caught in the thicket, offered himself in our stead." And shall we be insensible to all his love? Will not" the very stones cry out against us, if we should hold our peace?" O then "let them give thanks, whom the Lord. hath redeemed, and delivered from the hand of the enemy."

But this subject affords us also a pattern for our imi

tation.

The delivering of us from destruction was by no means the only end of our Saviour's suffering: he further intended to "leave us an example, that we should follow his steps; that as he, when reviled, reviled not again, and when he suffered, threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously; so we and all his disciples, should walk according to the same rule." And how excellent is such a disposition! how incomparably more glorious does Jesus appear, when "giving his back to the smiters, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, and when he hid not his face from shame and spitting,"