when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." I find him surrounded by the terrors of death, and even this must be my fate; and what does he do, - what must I do? Не suffers patiently, without complaining; so must I suffer. He submits willingly to death because duty demands it; so must I submit to the claims of duty at any cost or hazard. He looks with pity and compassion upon his implacable foes, prays for them, loves them to the end; so must I do if I would be of one spirit with him. He resigns his soul peacefully. trustingly, into the hands of God; and so I learn how to die! Where else could I have learned these momentous lessons? Where else could I have seen the whole soul of religion? Where else has there been condensed and represented in one man all human goodness? And here I ask, too, what there is which can dignify and exalt man, and render him mete to commune with angels and with God, that was not displayed in the last hours of Jesus upon the cross? And what that can debase him, separate him from his Maker, disinherit him of heaven, prepare him for hell, that is not rebuked and condemned by the cross of Jesus? Where, in fine, do we learn so well the unutterable worth of the soul? Where are we instructed so forcibly to forget and deny ourselves, and to love our fellow-men? Where are we taught, so impressively, to look on those who have wronged us, with pity, and to forgive them? Where else, in the hour of greatest need, in the moment of keenest suffering, in the agony of death, are we directed, by such an august example, to whom we must go for support, and how to commit ourselves to God?

Others may dwell with more satisfaction on other views VOL. XIV. NO. 156.

2*

of Christ's death, may find more to admire in contemplating him as a literal sacrifice for sin, or as the vicarious subject of those punishments to which man was liable, or as affording a striking proof of God's hatred of sin; but for myself, I can take no pleasure in these views. I cannot take hold of them. They are like a spirit not to be touched. I cannot apply them to my personal use. They are a mystery to me. If true, they do me no good; they afford me no help, no light. But when I adopt the sentiment of Peter, that "Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow in his steps," I have something distinct before me, a clear proposition to think upon, a definite thing to do, and an implied promise that, by doing it, I shall gain something morally, spiritually, become a better man, be carried towards heaven, be saved.

Now, let me ask, is there any reader of these pages to whom the views which have now been presented of the death of Christ seem uninviting and unimportant, - any who does not see in them topics of unsurpassed interest and value? Or, is there a Christian on the face of the earth, of any church, of any name, who would venture to deny that these views have a high value and interest, and are suited powerfully to affect the character of those who adopt them? I will not so underrate the judgment and candor of my fellow-men as to believe that such a Christian exists. Many there may be, who think that these views do not present the whole case, or the most important points in it. But that is not the question. The question is, are not these views of interest and value? If this is admitted, then that which I have affirmed must also be admitted, namely, that however divided in opinion

the christian world may be on the subject of the death of Christ, there is still a broad common ground on which they can all stand together. And. I will here add, that standing together on such ground as I have described, with the cross of Christ before them, I see not how they dare to cherish towards one another any feelings but those which the cross has hallowed and sanctioned, or to indulge any enmities and prejudices which the cross condemns !

But we have not yet explored the whole extent of the common ground. It is wider still. There are other ends accomplished by the death of the Saviour, less important perhaps, but still highly important, about which there must be a general agreement of Christians.

III. In the third place, the death of Christ abolished the distinction between Jews and Gentiles. It brought both together into one body. By the Jewish converts his death was regarded as the last great sacrifice, as the consummation of the ceremonial of the law, as the termination of those ancient rites and ordinances which had separated the Hebrew people from all others, and as throwing all nations together, without regard to past religious distinctions into a new and better kingdom of truth. Henceforth the question was not to be, Are you a Jew or are you a Greek; but are you of Christ? Old animosities and prejudices were to be abandoned. The great doctrine of the common origin of all men, and of their equality in the sight of him who died for all, and of God, was to be established. The principle of universal brotherhood was to be substituted for that confined and partial affection, which, both amongst Jews and Gentiles, had

been sanctioned by their respective religions. The fountain of religious knowledge and faith that had been sealed up in Judea was to be opened, that its waters might flow out for the healing of all nations.

But how did the death of Jesus tend to this result?

Let us see. The intelligent Jewish convert, believing that the end of the law had been accomplished when Christ died, and that a new and more perfect institution had received the seal of heaven in his blood, gave up, as a matter of course, those peculiarities of religion which had separated him from the Gentile; and the Gentile convert, thinking only of his Master, his life, his sufferings, his cross, his resurrection, was drawn by an irrepressible sympathy towards all who loved and honored him. He had no such deep rooted prejudices as the Jew to overcome. His antipathies were rather political than religious, and, therefore, were less difficult to conquer. But in both it was the direct tendency of the cross, that common bond of interest and affection, to overcome all prejudice, all hostility, and to draw them together in one harmonious body, sanctified by one spirit, instinct with one life, ennobled with one hope. This is one of the effects which we find attributed to the death of Christ by the apostle Paul — a sufficient authority. These are his words, addressed to his Gentile converts at Ephesus: "But now in Christ Jesus ye who were sometimes far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle-wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, (that is, the cause of the enmity) even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain one new man, making peace, and

that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." The cross was the means of binding them to one another and to God, because it had put an end to the great causes of enmity between them, and left them to all those sentiments and affections which it so strikingly illustrates. Was this an unworthy or insignificant end? Was it not, on the contrary, of importance sufficient to compensate for almost any sacrifice that might be necessary to compass it? All Christians who admit this, agree, then, in one more important view of the death of Christ.

IV. Once more. It was necessary that the Saviour should die for his own sake, with reference to his own personal benefit. Is it to be supposed that he passed through all the trials with which his life abounded without receiving any personal advantage from them? Was it possible that such circumstances as those into which he was brought should exert no influence, leave no permanent impression, upon his character? Let those believe it who believe that his nature was like adamant. But when I remember how his feelings were wrought upon by the sufferings of others, how like a son of man he wept, I cannot doubt that his own sufferings produced in his tender heart all their usual benign effects. Are trials designed by Providence to strengthen your virtue, to elevate your faith, to quicken your piety, and can we believe that the same cause should not produce a similar effect on him? Must we not rather believe that the extraordinary firmness of religious principle, the quiet energy and unfaltering perseverance, the noble self-sacrifice and calm resignation of Jesus, were owing, in no small degree, to