more earnestly; and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground," Luke xxii. 39-44. Let us follow on: "And some began to spit on

him, and to cover

And the servants

his face, and to buffet him. did strike him with the palms of their hands," Mark xiv. 65.

"Then Pilate, therefore, took Jesus, and scourged him: and the soldiers platted a crown of thorns (a badge of the curse), and put it on his head; and they smote him with their hands. And they took Jesus, and led him away, bearing his cross; and they crucified him" with this glorious title written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, "This is the King of the Jews," Luke xxiii, 38; John xix. And, as a real spiritual Jew is one circumcised in heart to love God, so Christ is most certainly "King of the Jews" in all nations, and he shall reign over the house of David for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. And he was fully declared to be King of the Jews" when he expired upon the cross. John records it: "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished, and gave up the ghost.-Luke. "And, when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit; and, having said thus, he gave up the ghost."-Mark. "And at the

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ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?-And Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost."-Matthew and Mark agree.

Thus we see what it cost our blessed Lord to deliver us from the wrath of God and the curse of a broken law-to finish transgression and make an end of sin-to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness. Well may that text in the Lamentations be applied to our Lord in his sufferings, "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see, if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger," i. 12. By the incarnation of Christ a way into the holiest of all is made manifest, called a new and living way through the rent vail of his flesh: "He hath made peace for us by the blood of his cross;" so that God is a reconciled and a loving father in Christ to all that are enabled through grace to believe in him. The devil is destroyed, we are ransomed from his power-from the power of death eternal- and redeemed from hell and everlasting destruction. Of every believer in Christ God says, "Deliver him from going down into the pit, for I have found a ransom.' -And, as Christ has all blessedness treasured

up in him, "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell," for the use of his church and people; as the Spirit is upon him without measure, for the benefit and salvation of his people; and as Christ hath removed every thing out of the way that cut off access and communion and fellowship with God; so the Holy Spirit is poured out upon Christ's seed, and the blessing of eternal life is given to his offspring; every essential grace is communicated to the elect, and planted in their hearts; and by the influences of the Holy Spirit the Lord's family are created anew in Christ Jesus, formed for God's self and for his service, to shew forth his praise; the image of God is restored to the soul, and a meetness for heaven granted. Pardon, peace, life, righteousness, love, joy, and everlasting salvation, are enjoyed in Christ by all such as are united to him, and made one spirit with him. Christ is the door of hope, the gate of life, a refuge from every storm; and the way, the truth, and the life; and by his complete and finished work he is become the author of eternal salvation to all that are brought to yield the obedience of faith unto him. None shall pluck the saints out of his hands-not an hoof shall be left behind-his many sons shall be brought home to glory-and the certainty of this is clear, because he is gone into

heaven, and has taken his seat at his Father's right hand, as the forerunner, head, and representative of his people; and, when the last believer shall be called, then he will come again the second time, to receive his bride to himself, who together will reign a thousand years in the new earth that will succeed the present; and then, after the general judgment has taken place, Christ will present all the elect to the Father, when there will not be one missing; and, that done, he will lay aside his regal septre, as King of grace in Zion, and, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, reign as King of glory to all eternity. But, if the human nature of Christ is mortal, how could all these blessed effects be brought about? Impossible. He offered himself without spot to God, and therefore his sacrifice was available -it satisfied infinite justice-it made a complete atonement for the sins of God's people.

By his one offering he hath perfected for ever all them that were sanctified," or set apart in God's eternal purpose for salvation. By Christ, our great High Priest and Mediator, our prayers ascend to heaven and prevail, and our praises are accepted; and by him all promised blessings flow to the church. Out of Christ's fulness all the church's wants are richly supplied. And, as the souls of the elect are saved by grace, by the washing of regene

ration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, and thus are brought again to enjoy the image of God, so Christ is the Saviour of the body as well; for, though it is appointed to death, and necessarily dies because of sin, and must therefore, being mortal, see corruption in the grave, yet, when Christ comes the second time, the dead shall be raised, and these vile bodies of ours shall rise free from all mortality and corruption, and shall be fashioned like unto the glorious body of Christ. And, when soul and body are re-united, then in our whole persons we shall see Christ as he is, and be like him, and dwell for ever with him, These are some of the many blessed effects flowing from the incarnation of the Son of God, whereby the glorious plan of salvation, so worthy of God, has been accomplished. The divine will has been carried into effect, and the Lord's purposes and decrees have been fulfilled, to the surprise and astonishment of all that partake of the glorious salvation of Christ, and to the surprise and astonishment of the angels of God, who rejoice at a poor sinner's repentance unto life, and who learn, by the church, some of the manifold wisdom of God in the salvation of sinners, and learn so as to admire, rejoice, and adore! Ephesians iii. 10, 11.

The blessed Saviour experienced those sin