brass." "Is there no remedy?" said the Son of God. "None," said Mercy; and again she sighed, and her tears trickled down! "No remedy?" repeated the Son of God. "None," said Mercy, "except one of, sufficient dignity can be found, who would be willing to make an atonement for them-bearing their sins, in his own body, upon the tree." "Do I possess sufficient dignity?" said the Son of God. Mercy bowed before the "Brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person." Justice was appealed to by the heavenly One. Justice bowed low in the presence of Jehovah's equal-in the presence of him, whom all the angels in heaven are commanded to worship and adore. That was a time of love. The heart of the Blessed One yearned over Adam's ruined race; and he said—“ Upon me be this evil, Justice. I will take their place. For them, I will make the great atonement; I will bear their sins, in my own body, upon the tree." "When?" said Justice. "Four thousand years from this time," replied the Son of God. It was ratified; it was recorded in the archives of heaven. And, Justice, with a mighty hand, opened the ponderous gate. And Mercy entered. With angel speed, she flew! She mingled with the crowd; she healed the sick; she raised the fallen; she cheered the faint; she bound up the broken-hearted; she made many, many happy! She was engaged in this blessed work through the long roll of four thousand years. At the time appointed, Justice descended, upon a black and stormy cloud. His hand grasped fierce lightnings-at his feet rolled mighty thunders! The earth trembled; and the sun ceased to shine! "Mercy!" exclaimed stern Justice. "Mercy! the hour is come! Where is the substitute?" "Yonder he is," replies Mercy; "Yonder he is, bearing his cross on Calvary's brow!" Justice looked up to heaven, and called for fire to descend, and light upon the soul of the holy Jesus! Fire descended upon the victim! It burned, and burned furiously! It consumed the humanity, but when it touched the divinity, it expired! And Mercy, with joy unutterable, exclaimed, "Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men!" Yea, heaven rang jubilee, whilst saints and angels, without number, shouted, "Glory to God in the highest, on earth, peace, good will toward men !" O, my brethren, the scene presented on Calvary was truly a wonderful scene! The work there accomplished was, beyond all comparison, a mighty work, a glorious work. It is that which will add countless millions of happy beings to the already innumerable host of shining ones in glory! and that which will, through all the cycles of endless years, fill the great temple of God Almighty with sounding praise! And, my Christian brethren, what shall we say of Him, who, as we have already said, on the cross crushed the serpent's head, calmed the frowns of angry justice, and there won for his people crowns of glory, and thrones of everlasting splendour? Well has the name "Wonderful" been added to the splendid list of names and titles which he bears and will for ever bear! He is wonderful in his two-fold nature, being both God and man! He is wonderful in his birth; wonderful in his life; wonderful in his death; wonderful in his resurrection, and wonderful in his ascension. He is wonderful in the eyes of angels, and wonderful in the eyes of all worlds; but especially should he be considered wonderful in our eyes, for O how wonderful was that love which caused him to suffer such loss, such indignity, and such untold sorrows on our account! How wonderful, that he who was so rich, should, for our sakes, become so poor! That he who in heaven commanded the treasures of the universe, should on earth have no place where to lay his head! How wonderful, that he who was originally the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person, should wrap his Godhead in a veil of our inferior clay! How wonderful, that he who was God's coequal, co eternal Son, should exchange the bosom of his Father for a manger! How wonderful, that he who is the Fountain of all glory, should become a "Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief!"-that he who is the Angel of Mercy, should find no mercy himself!-that he who is the final Judge, should himself stand condemned at Pilate's bar! How wonderful, that he whose title is "King of kings and Lord of lords," should exchange his throne for a cross, his diadem of glory for a crown of thorns, and his robes of light and majesty for a vesture dipped in blood! Think! O my soul! how wonderful, that he who was the source of all honour, should be buffeted, and scourged, and spit upon! that he who was the Prince of life, should be slain! and that he whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, should be laid in Joseph's tomb! "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh." Wonderful, wonderful Saviour! "Come, expressive silence, muse his praise!" SERMON IX.* THE TOMB OF JESUS. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.-MATT. xxviii. 6. THERE is a power of association, and the exercise of this power oftentimes awakens feelings both pleasant and mournful to the soul. Returning, for example, to the place of our nativity, after a long absence, how do the recollections of former times crowd upon the mind! The scenes of our childhood are before us, and every object around serves to give rise to a train of pleasing or saddening reflection. This house, that field, this beaten pathway, that shady grove-all have a nameless charm, by reason of certain tender recollections associated with them. Walk over the field of battle, where the contest raged which decided the fate of your country; and, if there her independence was achieved, how sacred is the spot-how pleasant are all the associations thereof! But if there "freedom shrieked," and the chains of despotism were made strong, you sigh, and turn away. Visit the subterra *For some fine thoughts in this sermon, I acknowledge myself indebted to Dr. Sprague, of Albany. |