been himself a sinner, he should have died under his own iniquity. Now that he is very man, and such a sinless man, the scriptures fully assure us. As man he is formed of the substance of his mother, "partaker of flesh and blood," as other children are, and born in the same way yet "sanctified in the womb, that he might not partake of that corruption, which by natural generation descends to every son of fallen Adam. He was a "holy thing, undefiled and separate from sinners;" (Heb. vii. 26.) and for that purpose "the power of the Highest overshadowed her." (Luke i. 35.) As we are, he had the constituent parts of human nature, a reasonable soul and human flesh. As other children "he increased in wisdom as in stature." (Luke ii. 52.) He was one with us in all the human wants and sinless infirmities his soul deficient in knowledge, affected with grief, vexed with indignation, sensible of reproaches, choosing to avoid sufferings, exceeding sorrowful under them: (Mark xiii. 32. Mark iii. 5. Matt. xxvi. 38, 39.) his body subject to weariness, hunger, thirst, pain and death. (John iv. 6. Mark xi. 12. John xix. 28. Psal. cxvi. 3. Mark xv. 37.) Thus he lived, thus he died as a man: yet was he not merely man, but God-man; possessing both natures in all their plenitude in one Christ. II. The manner in which Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, must be observed; namely, "by being made a curse for us." Where we must remark, First, His substitution for us. Secondly, What he bore as our substitute. 1. Christ, both God and man, was the sinner's substitute. "He bore our griefs, and carried our sorrows." (Isa. liii. 4.) Our state was desperate, you have heard. Nor was there found a remedy, until God, from the abyss of his wisdom, declared the counsel of peace which was betwixt the Sacred Three. That one of them should take the sinful nature, and suffer the curse, that justice might be glorified in the punishment, and mercy be exalted in the pardon of sin. The Son consents to be the person. The covenant runs, “If he will make his soul a sacrifice for sin, he shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied :” freely he complies. "Lo! I come to do thy thy will. (Heb. x. 7.) Abody is prepared for him. (Heb. x. 5.) God lays on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa. liii. 6.) He is made sin for us, who knew no sin." [2 Cor. v. 21.] He suffers, the "just for the unjust." (1 Pet. iii. 18.) He offers himself to bear the sins of many, yea in his own body on the tree, to bring in for sinners by his own blood-shedding "eternal redemption." [Heb. ix. 12.] Here then behold the second Adam : a new covenant-head and representative, bearing the persons and characters of his people, communicating with them in all things: being what they are, and so making them one with him, that all his transactions are their own. He a sin offering, a curse, a sufferer for them; they crucified, dead, buried, rising, living in and with him. [2 Cor. v. 21. Gal. iii. 13. Gal. ii. 20. Rom. vi. 8. Coloss. iii. 1.] 2. As our substitute, he underwent all that the law demanded from sinners. The curse in all its extent and bitterness he endured from the cradle to the grave, the award of sin was executed upon him. And how heavily executed, a short review of his sufferings will tell. See the Redeemer entering the lists, sin and hell and death, yea God himself against him. On him the poisoned arrows of vengeance are to be expended. An outcast from the womb! Sought for by the sword soon as he drew his breath, a fugitive, a forlorn; "a worm and no man, despised and rejected of men. Having no place to lay his head." [Isa.liii. 3. Mat. viii. 20.] His whole life a series of labours, wants, temptations, reproaches, persecutions, until the hourcame when peculiarly the curse descended, and "the powers of darkness" [Lukexxii.53.] prevailed. When given into the hands of the devil, who is the executioner of divine vengeance, and "hath the power of death," [Heb. ii. 14.] the wages of -sin; he endured that fearful baptism of blood and sweat, and tears extorted by the pains of hell which came about him; and then finished on a cross the great expiation, having "destroyed thereby death, and him that had the power of it." Would you be a witness of the conflict, and see the burden of your weighty guilt, go then to the garden of Gethsemane; and in the silent darkness of that dreadful night, the groans of Jesus at a distance will direct thy footsteps to that scene of his sufferings. What a sight of horror! What agonizing pangs are these! Why this strong crying and tears! And lo! he falls, he lies along the ground: from every pore, the sweat and blood mingled start in great drops and trickle down; the cold ground streams with the purple gore: weltering he lies. O Jesus, Saviour, what hath thus laid thee low? What extorts from thee these bitter cries? Thy deserts, thy curse, poor sinner. But dost thou stand aghast at this? O couldst thou see my unknown pangs my soul's exceeding sorrows even un! to death my sore amazement; my heaviness past utterance; these blasts of the breath of my Father's displeasure; "this, this is the bitter cup" my soul cries to remove; but, "Father, thy will be done." [Matt. xxvi. 39-46.] The L angels minister to him." [Luke xxii. 43.] The dreadful storm abates: he rises: he seeks his friends, his friends "asleep through sorrow." But his enemies are waking: the traitor comes. Betrayed and sold by one disciple; denied by another; forsaken by all; arrested as a thief, and delivered into the hands of the wicked. Follow him to the tribunal, and hear the cries of a blood-thirsty people, and the sentence of an unjust judge. See the insult, the mockery and cruelty added to reproach. The scourges that tear his sacred body, and open again the bloody fountain; the thorns pressed hard upon his temples; new wounds to "mar his visage more than any man's;" [Isa. lii. 14.] a visage already deformed with buffetings, and defiled with spitting. What torments he endured! condemned to the cross, it is bound upon him. He groans, he sinks under the load. Yet "as a lamb led to the slaughter, he openeth not his mouth :" [Isa. liii. 7.] to Calvary he goes, there to be fastened on it. O! fearful curse, "If this be done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry?" [Luke xxiii. 31.] The cross is fixed in the ground: Jesus is stretched upon it: stripped, to endure the shame of our nakedness; covered with clotted gore; a spectacle of woe! Stretched are his sacred arms; O why these nails will tell. To be fixed fast upon that tree; in shame and torture to expire, to endure the death, the accursed death of the cross. They pierce his hands, they pierce his feet; the wounds are torn wide by the suspended body. He is lifted up. O sinner, look upon him! lifted up he is to take away thy sins. He bears them all on this accursed tree. Stay yet a while. Behold the "man of sorrows truly, sorrows like unto whose have never sorrows been!" [Lam. i. 12.] These sufferings for thee "drink the dregs Creation beholds he willingly endures. He refuses the wine mingled with myrrh, that he may of the cup of trembling." astonished the Lord of Life expiring. The sun grows dark; the heavens lour; the earth trembles; the rocks rend; whilst tears of blood descend; and in the pangs of death and dereliction the Redeemer cries, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" [Matt. xxvii. 46.] Then finishes transgression, proclaims it, and expires. He dies: the soldier's spear opens his heart that beats no more: the blood and water flow; still warm, though life is gone. Thus dies on the accursed tree the sinners substitute. Sin is atoned for, justice is satisfied, the prisoner must be discharged. His soul is not left in hell, nor doth this Holy One of God see corruption. The grave may not cover her slain. He bursts the bands of death in token of his victory, and leads captivity captive. Death hath no more dominion over him :" as "he was delivered for our of fences, he is raised again for our justification." [Rom. iv. 25.] A pardoning God is found: A pardoning God proclaimed. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." [Psal. lxxxv. 10.] The bright perfections of the eternal God here unite and form a new discovery of the Deity; the milder beams of mercy gild the throne; and that once consuming fire becomes approachable even by sinners. Glorious is Jehovah now in pardoning, and righteous in mercy. Which leads me, 66 66 III. To the benefits which by his blood-shedding Christ has purchased for us: and these are chiefly, 1. Pardon of our sins and peace with God. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of |