design from the beginning, that justice and mercy might agree together: that God might display to all the world the heinousness of sin, and yet might remit its penalty.

Let us ever bear in mind, for what intent Christ was numbered with transgressors. That we might be delivered from the consequences of transgression, and be "accounted righteous before God." But we are "bought with this price," not that we may fashion ourselves "according to the corruption which is in the world," but that we may "glorify God in our body and our spirit, which are his." "He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Let it be ever manifest both by our principles and our practice, that we are among those who are "dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

LECTURE CXII.

SUFFERINGS OF JESUS.-HIS BURIAL.

MARK XV. 29–47.

IN returning to the cross of Jesus, we cannot but observe that many things conspired to render his sufferings unusually severe. It commonly happens

Matt.xxvii.

39-54.

that the pity, if not even the favour of the multitude, is directed towards those who die by public execution. The two malefactors, who had gone about doing evil instead of good, were not assailed by the popular fury. All was directed against Him, who was now "bearing our sins in his own body on the tree."

29. And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their Luke xxii. heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,

35-56.

John xix. 25-41.

30. Save thyself, and come down from the cross.

31. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others: himself he

cannot save.

32. Let Christ the king of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

33. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

34. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

35. And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.

36. And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

37. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

38. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

39. And when the centurion which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

Thus it soon became manifest, that the Father

had not really forsaken his beloved Son, and that there was a divine purpose, now quickly to be developed, in all this suffering. And the aggravating circumstances which are related to us, and disclose the reality of that suffering, tend to make the cross of Jesus that instructive thing to us which it was designed to prove.

Two inferences deserve especial attention.

1. The misery endured by Jesus was very real and very terrible. Not to insist on any thing beyond the literal history: the foretaste of what he was about to undergo, which occasioned his agony in the garden of Gethsemane: the torture of the scourge, and the crown of thorns, and the cruel violence of the soldiers; together with the gradual extinction of life by the anguish of the cross: make up an actual accumulation of sufferings from which our minds recoil: which we are unwilling to contemplate. We had rather not "look and see, whether there has been any sorrow like unto his sor

row."

Yet God permitted this; who wills not the misery of any: for "God is love." He permitted it in the case of one most dear to him: for Jesus was his "beloved Son, in whom he was well

pleased."

We have, therefore, a proof that such things may be allowed for wise though mysterious purposes, and are not a sign that He has forgotten those who suf fer them. The sufferings of Jesus were ordained for a reason known to us now, and known to be most merciful, though understood not then even by the apostles, and misinterpreted by others,

who presumed that God would have delivered him, if he had a favour unto him. Therefore we may feel the same assurance in other cases, and may find in it a consolation to alleviate similar trials, when the people of God are placed, as frequently they are placed, under the pressure of protracted distress, or pain, or poverty.

2. The second suggestion concerns those who suffer in mind, not in body; who labour under a dread of God's anger, and painfully feel their habitual sinfulness, or their actual transgressions. Those that " weep now," ought not to be objects of wonder or censure. Who can blame, or be surprised at any whose heart is disquieted within them, when they look back upon their negligences and ignorances, their omissions of known duty, or their presumptuous sins? But they who have this deep sense of their own unworthiness, are the very persons who may be safely encouraged and comforted. And here is the comfort. However heavy the burthen of sin may be, it has been removed. However large the debt, it has been paid. Here, on the cross, the penalty of sin was exacted; and here it was undergone. Why was all the suffering which has been related, consented to by Christ, and why was it enforced by God, except to give the penitent debtor his discharge, and to make the "satisfaction for his sins full, perfect, and sufficient?" So that "there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus; whose faith has applied to their hearts the sprinkling of that "blood which cleanseth from all sin." "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows."

"It

pleased the Lord to bruise him, and to put him to grief," for this very purpose, that the broken heart might be bound up, and the spirit of the contrite ones revived.

40. There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome:

41. (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him); and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

42. And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,

43. Joseph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

44. And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.

45. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

46. And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, und rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.

47. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.

Thus was he overcome by death, who has taken away its sting. Thus was he laid in the grave, who has spoiled the grave of its victory: and has enabled his disciples to say, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me."

There was indeed a prophecy respecting him,