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to have saved himself from the cruelty of his enemies. He had already done so on many different occasions. Throughout his life he had shown himself to be in possession of means which would have enabled him, with ease, to crush whatever dared oppose him. This was implied in the acknowledgment, he saved others.

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But in another sense, little understood by those who uttered the words, those words were true, himself he cannot save. He could not come down from the cross, and deliver himself from the punishment which he had undertaken to bear, without frustrating the plan prepared for man's redemption. We were recently considering, how, in the agony of his human nature, he prayed to his Father, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me!" But no sooner had he said, according to the dictates of his human nature, "Father, save me from this hour;" than he added in his divine wisdom, "yet for this cause came I to this hour."7 The same goodness which led him to offer the ransom, determined him to endure unto the end, and forbad his using his divine power to save himself, before all things had been fulfilled which justice required him to undergo: before having submitted to the full weight of divine wrath, he was enabled to say, It is finished and bowed the head, and gave up the ghost."

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So far, then, his enemies, though not knowing what they said, declared truly, himself he cannot

save.

And, blessed be God! no less accurate is the re7 John xii. 27.

mainder of the sentence, he saved others. By those very sorrows which he could not be exempted from suffering, by that very purpose of God which made it impossible that he should save himself, he saved others. His weakness, then, is our strength, now and for ever. "Surely he bore our griefs, and carried our sorrows; he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed." Through him alone, through the sufferings which he consented to undergo, is promised to those who trust in him remission of sins.

If then we are "bought with this price," with a price so costly, let us remember that "we are not our own" and that he who bore so heavy a cross for us, has said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." 8

? Isa. liii. 4.

8 Mark viii. 34.

LECTURE CXII.

SIGNS ATTENDING THE DEATH OF JESUS.

MATT. xxvii. 45-56.

We return to the cross on which the Son of man was lifted up; was lifted up, that we might look on Him, and be saved; but who was now surrounded by those who mocked his suffering and denied his power. The elements, however, the material world, acknowledged him, "by whom all things were made.”

45. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

46. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 1

47. Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

48. And straightway some of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 2

49. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

50. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

1 Ps. xxii. 1. Quoted in the Syro-Chaldaic dialect, probably as then spoken in Judea; and not rightly understood by all the bystanders.

2 For we learn from St. John, that he had also said, "I thirst."

51. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52. And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

53. And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

54. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

55. And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

56. Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

It was to be expected that the death of Christ Jesus should be attended with extraordinary signs. The accomplishment of the original promise; the conclusion of a long series of prophecy and preparation; the completion of a mighty sacrifice for the sins of men; the consummation of wickedness in the Jewish people,—an event like this might well be marked by a testimony from heaven. And it was so. Jesus yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. This veil or curtain separated one part of the temple from the other: the holy from the most holy; that part where the people stood and worshipped, from that which the high priest entered, and where he offered sacrifice. This veil was rent: showing, first, that the Jewish law, and worship established by Moses was at an end, being set aside by Him, of whom "Moses and the

prophets did write;" and showing, further, that there is no longer a distance, a separation between God and man, but that all alike, Jew and Gentile, all who believe in Christ, have access to God by that "new and living way which he has consecrated for us," and may "come boldly to the throne of grace.

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Further, the earth did quake, and the rocks were rent. Well might the earth quake, and "the stones cry out," at the wickedness which was committed in it. Perfect goodness had appeared in the world, and the corrupt world could not bear the sight. "Shall not the land tremble for this?"

Further still, the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints arose, and came out of their graves after his resurrection, and appeared unto many. This was the earnest of the last day and the general resurrection: the first-fruits of that great harvest, "when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

These remarkable signs were so evident to the centurion and those that were with him, watching Jesus, that they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

A glorious, but a late confession. Glorious to him of whom it was made; but late for those who made it. The centurion, indeed, as a Roman, had, perhaps, heard little of our Lord, of his doctrines, of his miracles. But it was late indeed for the

3 See Heb. x. 19-22.

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