itself in His life. Unbounded compassion streamed forth in all He said and did. How eagerly He embraced every opportunity, by His gentle warnings and kind invitations, to save immortal souls from the verge of endless death. But, alas! for kindness, He received the basest ingratitude; for disinterested love, the greatest possible contempt. At the name of Jesus, angels fell prostrate, demons trembled, and inanimate nature was subject to His control; the wind and sea obeyed His voice; the mighty rushing tempest was hushed: but man, wicked, vile, rebellious man, pursues Him to death.

"Hark! how they clamour for His blood!"

But could their fiendish malice dry up the fountain of His sympathy, or quench that sacred flame that glowed within His breast? No! for in death it broke out with greater vehemence than in life. Whilst hanging upon the "accursed tree," He prayed; yes! He prayed for His murderers-"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."*

*Luke xxiii. 34.

His life was a life of suffering. He was emphatically "a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs." Who can describe His mental anguish, when heard to exclaim, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful." Listen to His

pathetic cry, whilst agonizing in the pangs of death-"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"* All is consternation in heaven; all is agitation in hell: every harp before the throne of God is unstrung: angels heave unutterable sighs: now is the "hour and the power of darkness." Hell summons all its strength to "bruise His heel;" but our glorious Deliverer triumphed over all His foes; for, just as He was about to breathe His last, He exclaimed, "Tis finished!" Heaven heard; and every harp was raised into concert; and every tongue before the throne responded, ""Tis finished!"

"Love's redeeming work is done;
Fought the fight, the battle won."

"'Tis finished!" hell with horror heard. It

* Matthew xxii. 46.

was then that "He spoiled principalities and powers, and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." It was then that He poured out His blood, a "ransom for all;" and His Divinity stamped His sufferings and death with infinite merit. "He gave up the ghost."

"Lo! what means these strange convulsions?
Midnight darkness veils the sky;

Earthquakes heave the mighty mountains;

The stubborn rocks are rent in twain;

Graves are opening; universal nature groans!"

But whilst I am gazing upon this awful scene, anxious to ascertain its meaning, suddenly my eyes behold this "inscription written upon the Cross, in characters of hallowed blood""God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

"Survey the wonderous cure,

And at each step let higher wonders rise;

* Colossians ii. 15.

Pardon for infinite offence, and pardon

Through means that speak its value infinite!

A pardon bought with blood; with blood divine!
With blood divine of Him I made my foe;
Persisted to provoke, though wooed and awed;
Blest and chastised, a flagrant rebel still;

A rebel 'midst the thunders of His throne,-
Nor I alone! a rebel universe!

My species up in arms! not one exempt!
Yet for the foulest of the foul He dies!"*

But in order that our Lord might destroy the "last enemy"-give death to death-He descended into the regions of the grave, and there contended with the grim monster in his own territory. He achieved a glorious victory over him-burst the barriers of the tombrose triumphantly from the dead-and as He ascended into heaven,

"Cherubic legions guard Him home,

And shout Him welcome to the skies."

Behold Him seated on His mediatorial throne; and will there remain until the world's eternal jubilee is ushered in: "For the

* Young.

kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever."*

In the violence manifested by death and hell toward the Son of God, in raising up the lawless rabble to pour upon Him all their malice, and hasten, by the most excruciating pain, His death, in hope that thereby the purposes of God in the redemption of the world would be frustrated, they were blindly defeating their own designs,-accelerating the overthrow of their own empire: for by dying, He destroys death; by His resurrection, the power of the grave; and pours upon this benighted world a flood of heavenly gracegrace which no finite mind could have conceived. Oh! who can describe the dismay of the prince of darkness, when he beheld the result of the conflict? how he was driven back, by his own weapons, to his fiery abode, with self-reproach and mortification. Revenge with redoubled fury rankled in his breast; and hence he was determined to carry on his

* Revelation xi, 15.