of others, we may remark that the appellations Propitiation, Ransom, Sacrifice, Lamb, Mediator, and so on, which are appropriated to Him, establish the fact of His substitution. What is a propitiation, but a satisfaction for sin? What is a ransom, but a price paid for the liberation of the captive? What is a sacrifice, but an atonement for transgression? What is a mediator, but one placed between contending parties to effect their reconciliation? What was the lamb of the passover, but an atoning sacrifice? And why is Christ called the Lamb of God, and our Passover, that was sacrificed for us, but to signify His vicarious suffering as the substitute of others?

4. The state of our Saviour's mind under His suffering indicated that He suffered the penalty of men's sins.

He did not suffer as a martyr, or the support and consolations offered to martyrs would have been offered to Him. All the martyrs died joyfully, feeling it to be a privilege and a glory to die for such a cause. There is not as much as one instance on record of their dying sorrowfully, and under the withdrawal of God's countenance. Christ, on the contrary, was sorrowful, even unto death." "His sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood," forced from every pore, in consequence of the agonizing mental contest which He endured, before men even laid hands on Him. And in dying, differently from all other martyrs, He exclaimed, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" To think of God hiding His face from the best of men, and the most faithful of servants (granting that Christ was only such), and that, too, at the moment when He was giving the strongest evidences of His own love and faithfulness, would be inconsistent both with the character of God as an infinitely good and compassionate Being; and with His treatment of others, less renowned, under similar circumstances. We must therefore conclude, either that Christ died as a propitiation of others' sins, or that He was not that good man and faithful servant of God as those who deny His propitiatory sacrifice would have Him to be. We believe the

statement of the apostle, when he says, "Who died for our sins, and rose again for our justification." As the ram caught in the thicket substituted the death of Isaac, so Christ's death on Calvary substituted ours.

II. We observe briefly the ample provisions which God has made for us subsequent to, and dependent upon, the substitution of Christ. "Jehovah-jireh "-The Lord will provide.

We may take three views of His goodness in providing for us through His Son; which are, His provisions of creation, His provisions of providence, and His provisions of grace. 1. His provisions of creation.

In all the arrangements of the universe, in the constitution and disposition of all the objects of nature, He had a special Just think of regard for the support and comfort of man. the six days' work in our account of the creation. Everything was provided for man's reception. The house was completely built and furnished before He placed the tenant in it, so that the man had nothing to do but enjoy the good things placed at his disposal. Then his own mind and body were so constituted that he was capable of full and free enjoyment of what was thus provided for him. His senses were fitted for gratification: whilst colours, sounds, odours, and all were adapted to gratify his senses. This was done with a perfect foreknowledge of that man's delinquency, and it is not probable that God would have taken the pains of creating a world of such proportionate beauty for him, were it not for the prospective provision which He had graciously made for his restoration.

Here God

2. In providence also He provides for us. "has not left himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." The blessings of His providence include life, health, food, raiment, home, friends, comforts; all that is conducive to our well-being and happi

ness.

3. Above all, we must acknowledge His provisions of grace. These, in addition to the gift of His Son, comprehend the gift of His Spirit, faith, justification, hope, holiness, the ordinances of His sanctuary, strength equal to the day, a friend in death, and eternal glory hereafter. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all: how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

Yes, brethren, all is dependent upon the substitution of our Saviour for us: all is the result of the garden of Gethsemane, and the cross of Calvary. He was emptied for us, and we are complete in him." By His sufferings we are saved; by His nakedness we are clothed; by His shame we are honoured; by His hunger we are fed; by His thirst we have the water of life; by His cross we are crowned; by His death we live. Then let us look back with gratitude and look forward with hope. Reflecting on past sorrows, may we be thankful; contemplating future prospects, may we adopt the language of Abraham, "Jehovah-jireh ”—-The Lord will provide: knowing that all things shall work together for good to them who love God.

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Good Friday.

EVENING SERVICE.-Second Lesson: 1 Peter ii.

Verse 24.-" Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

THIS, my brethren, is the anniversary of the most wonderful transaction recorded in the history of the world. We might celebrate the birthdays and deaths of saints; we might observe the anniversaries of well-fought battles, and the bleeding of mighty heroes; but never was such a battle fought, never did such a hero bleed as on the day we are now met together to commemorate. It was a battle fought between heaven and hell, between the Lord of light and the prince of darkness: it was the bleeding of one in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily.

Our Saviour's crucifixion can scarcely fail of fixing every eye, of riveting every ear, of touching every heart. There is, at least, a momentary impression made on the mind of the most unfeeling by the tale of extreme suffering; if connected with extreme patience, it becomes more subduing to the soul; and the mind is wrought to the highest pitch of sympathy when the sufferer is known to be innocent, and wholly undeserving of the lot which befalls him. There is, moreover, in the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ, something still beyond and far more touching and mysterious. There seems to be in them the character of suffering divinity. Not that God could suffer; but throughout the whole transaction, we seem to perceive a holy familiarity with the very purposes and plans of God Himself. He fully acted out the designs of Divine wisdom, and while He was suffering the very extremity of agonizing nature, He might seem to call in, as

if by Divine authority, both the will and the strength to suffer to the end. In Him was the meeting of perfect darkness with perfect light. When on the cross, at one moment, He adopted the heart-rending cry of His great prototype David, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" and at the next moment in unbroken confidence He exclaims, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." He was fully persuaded that all for which He came into the world was fully and completely done-done in a manner not to be undone done as no one else could have done it-done to the endless praise and honour of the Father and Himself-done to the eternal salvation of those who should believe in His name. Hence, with His dying breath He exclaimed, "It is finished." The apostle Peter shows that He endured all His pains, not only with the greatest magnanimity and firmness, but also with the most exemplary patience. "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." He bore patiently the insults of His bitter foes, and manifested the greatest readiness to remit their gross offence. What an example of forgiving love! Though He had the power to look them into nothing, or to frown them into hell in an instant; but no, He never threatened them with the least revenge, but prayed for His murderers, and committed His cause to a just and righteous God. Blessed Jesus! let us learn to imitate Him, and not render evil for evil, railing for railing; but contrariwise, blessing for cursing, courtesies for injuries, affability for affronts.

In the text, we are taught both the nature and the end of Christ's sufferings, to which points I shall now call your

attention.

I. We notice the nature of Christ's sufferings: "Who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree."

We have here, the burden, the bearer, and the place where the burden was borne.

1. The burden, "our sins." Not the stain of our sins;