fully to explain the awful fact, to which our Lord's exclamation alludes, but upon that for which we contend. Surely it would have been no very encouraging circumstance to the followers of the Messiah to learn, that a sufferer, when perfectly innocent himself, and without any charge of imputed guilt, was destitute of all comfort in his soul, and was abandoned of God at the very time when he was giving the most glorious proof of his attachment to the truth, and of his entire devotion to the interests of eternal holiness. This would have been a case without a parallel, and contrary to all the promises of the inspired volume. Were he only a man, to have been so abandoned would have been his final ruin; for we have not the slightest reason to believe that a mere creature, abandoned of God, could, for a moment, endure what the Redeemer of men at this time endured. But when we consider the Son of God as engaged to fulfil the law of God in our stead, and to atone for the crimes which we had committedwhen we reflect, that in accomplishing this work, he must necessarily stand alone, and endure the wrath of his Father, all seems plain, clear, and proper.' So in the spirit of prophecy he speaks of it-" And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me." Isa. lxiii. 5. Every believer in the Son of God would from hence infer, that the Holy One of God was forsaken for a moment, that we might enjoy the presence of God for ever. "It is not surprizing, that God should ap pear in his glory; but for the eternal God to be abased, to be abased unto death, to the death of the cross, is that which cannot but amaze angels, and confound devils, and so much the more magnifies infinite mercy, by how much an infinite person would become more ignominious." Bishop Hall. It cannot on any principle seem proper or feasible, that they who have sacrificed all regard for Deity, and outraged every part of the divine will, should be received back into the embraces of everlasting love, without such an awful expression of divine displeasure against their baseness and guilt. If the elect of God must in their own persons have received this proof of God's most righteous and just indignation, their doom would have been sealed to eternity. And so would the doom of the Messiah too, had he not been "mighty to save." Isa. lxiii. 1. Yes, he was 66 over all, God blessed for ever.” Rom. ix. 5. This was the reason he endured, this was the reason his sacrifice was sufficient, and that it was accepted, for the salvation of unnumbered millions. While all purchased by Immanuel's blood shall sit around the throne of him who loved them, and gave himself for them-while they enjoy ten thousand bright discoveries of the infinite glory of God in the light of eternity—while every new discovery of the divine character will add lustre to their own glory, give new splendour and beauty to their own character-and while they evermore shall draw increasing felicity from the river of the water of life, issuing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, all these will be felt, and with supreme gratitude will be acknowledged, as the happy consequences resulting from the death of him who was nailed to the cross, and who on that cross was for a moment abandoned to woe, but who now is on his throne, adored as Lord of all! What riches, what glory, what holiness, what entire conformity to God, yea, what perfection of bliss to eternity! The soul, once afar from God, shall rise in every holy affection to God; shall here find its everlasting portion, and be filled with all the divine fulness. But glorious as is the state of the blessed, large as are their endowments who inhabit those regions of light, and splendid as are the robes which invest them, and the crowns which are placed upon them, all will be ascribed to the grace, obedience, and death, of him who bled for the guilty! "There hangs all human hope; that nail supports "A thousand worlds so bought, were bought too dear!" Young. THE value of any work performed by men, will be estimated chiefly by the perfection and utility of the work accomplished. The work of the Son of God differs, however, most essentially from all the works of men, as every part of his mediatorial engagements extends its influence through eternity. The crimes forgiven in consequence of his atonement, merited eternal punishment. That human crimes do merit eternal punishment, requires no farther proof than is offered in the words of our Lord, "And these shall go away into everlasting punish ment." Matt. xxv. 46. The duration of misery is here declared to be eternal; but no punishment can be inflicted by the divine Being which is not merited; nor can that misery be continued one moment beyond desert. However severe and awful the expressions of divine displeasure may be, and however long these marks of displeasure may continue, justice must most manifestly be displayed both in the measure, and in the continuance of a creature's sufferings, else, "how shall God judge the world?" The excruciating torments to be suffered by the impenitent in the world to come, are described in language the most alarming and terrific-" A worm that never dies-fire and brimstone-a being tormented with the devil and his angels-weeping and gnashing of teeth :" with many such alarming and awful expressions, give a just, though not a complete view of his state, who perishes in his sins. God is described as pouring upon such the vials of his wrath, tribulation, and anguish; and the sinner is considered as falling into the hands of an angry God. Mark ix. 43, 44. Rev. xxi. 8. Matt. xxv. 41.; xxv. 30. Rom. ii. 8, 9. Heb. x. 31. It may seem just to remark, that sin has in itself infinite demerit, as committed against the infinite God; but as no creature can bear infinite punishment, that punishment must be eternal. All the suffering of a mere creature would necessarily fail of atoning for sin, admitting (what we suppose has already been proved,) that sin N |