of absolute submission. Such a surrender of ourselves into the hands of Christ, such a submission from us [also] is absolutely necessary. He is directed what to do, and he complies punctually with the direction. "He was not disobedient to the heavenly vision."* For a further account of our Saviour's address, see Acts xxvi. 16–18. He was blinded by the light. (Acts xxii. 11.) He gave himself up to solitude and prayer. He would doubtless reflect on the following things 1. On what he had seen. 2. On what he had done. 3. On what lay before him. : XV. THE LAMB SLAIN THE OBJECT OF RAPTURE TO THE HEAVENLY HOSTS. REV. v. 6. And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain. In the preceding chapter John is presented with a magnificent vision: a door is opened in heaven, through which he passes, and beholds the throne of God, and the Almighty sitting upon it. The several orders of creatures which make their appearance there celebrate a solemn act of worship to him "which was, and which is, and which is to come, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."+ As the holy apostle was now on the point of being instructed in those mysteries of Providence whose accomplishment was to reach from the time of this vision to the consummation of all things, involving the remotest destinies of the church and of the world, so the manner in which it is imparted is such as must give us the highest idea of its importance. It formed the contents of a roll of a book in the hand of him that sat on the throne, “written within and on the backside, and sealed with seven seals." The whole universe is challenged to furnish one who is capable of loosing these seals and exploring its contents. "And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon."§ The apostle, whose mind was inflamed with solicitude to be made acquainted with these mysteries, wept much at finding there was none * Acts xxvi. 19. † Rev. iv. 8, 10, 11. Rev. v. 1. Rev. v. 2, 3. worthy to loose the seals and to open the book. And one of the elders said unto him, "Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." Under this emblem Jesus Christ is represented, alluding to the prophetic benediction of the patriarch Jacob “Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre," he adds, "shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come."* Judah was the regal tribe, and famous for its warlike exploits; distinguished by a succession of illustrious princes and conquerors, the descendants of David, who were at most but the forerunners and representatives of an incomparably greater personage, the Son of God, who, after he had vanquished the powers of darkness, was to be invested with an everlasting dominion, that all nations, tongues, and people should serve him. While John was expecting to see some majestic appearance, he beheld, and lo, a Lamb with the marks of recent slaughter presented himself before the throne, and he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on it: upon which the several orders of creatures "fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth." Emblems of weakness, of innocence, and of suffering made part in a scene where [we might] suppose nothing to enter but unmingled grandeur. Nor are the sufferings of Jesus Christ in our nature merely indistinctly introduced; they are the principal objects presented to the view; they are made the basis of that wonderful act of adoration in which every creature in the universe unites. The portion of Scripture which I have selected for our present improvement, thus introduced, suggests the two following important observations. I. That the distinguishing merit of Christ arises from his having redeemed us to God by his blood. II. That this part of his character engages the attention and the adoration of the heavenly world. I. That which distinguishes the character of Christ from all other beings is his condescension for the salvation of men. 1. The Scriptures uniformly teach us to look upon the death of Christ in a light totally distinct from that of any other person. Considered in itself it is not at all extraordinary, for in every age we find examples of those who have sealed the divine truth with their blood. We learn from the New Testament that such was the end of Stephen, of James, of Paul, and of Peter. It is one of those trials which Jesus warned his disciples to expect, insomuch that to be prepared at his call to surrender their lives was an inseparable condition of becoming his followers. But to none of their sufferings were such purposes assigned, such effects ascribed, as are uniformly ascribed to the sufferings of the Saviour. 66 Precious," indeed, "in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints," but it is never represented as having the remotest connexion with the remission of sins. They are never represented as set forth for a propitiation. Where is the death of Peter or of Paul spoken of in such language as this:-"He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God through him:”*"He laid on him the iniquity of us all; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we were healed;"-" He was delivered for our offences, and rose again for our justification ;"—not to mention innumerable other passages equally clear and decisive? What language that bears the least resemblance to this is applied to any other subject? The great apostle speaks of Christ's dying beha viour as a part of his character which was altogether inimitable: "Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?"Ş 2. Accordingly, the inspired writers never mention the death of Christ without emotions of devout rapture. The prayer of Paul for his Christian converts was, that they might "know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge." It is the grand argument which they employ to enforce the obligation of Christians to love each other, "even as Christ also hath loved us, and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour."P "Herein is love," John exclaims, "not that we loved him, but that he loved us, and gave himself for us." 99## This love was the motive which, with a sweet but irresistible violence, impelled them to devote themselves entirely to his service. "The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if Christ died for all, then were all dead: and he died, that they who live should not henceforth live to themselves, but to him who died for them." As the morality of the gospel is distinguished from that of the world by being founded in love; so the devout contemplation of the love of Christ is the grand principle which kindles and inflames it. 3. When the great Ruler of the world was pleased to accomplish his secret purpose of reconciling the sinful race of man to himself, by the pardon of their sins and the renewal of their natures, he saw fit to appoint his Son to be their surety, to assume their nature, and to die in their stead: "Great is the mystery of godliness; God manifest in the flesh." Instead of endeavouring to explore all the secret reasons of this wonderful economy, it rather becomes us thankfully to accept, and devoutly to adore it. It is sufficient for us to perceive, that no method within our comprehension could have equally provided for the display, at once, of his justice and of his mercy; his spotless purity, and his infinite compassion. In making his Son the sacrifice, justice *2 Cor. v. 21. 1 Cor. i. 13. † Isaiah liii. 5, 6. tt 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. Rom. iv. 25. appears in its utmost splendour; while, in freely "giving him up for us all," mercy appears in its most attractive form. The highest lessons of purity and holiness are learned at the foot of the cross; and if we are desirous of discovering an effectual antidote to the love of sin, it must be the serious and steady contemplation, by faith, of Christ crucified. 4. Salvation through the blood of the Redeemer, though it forms the distinguishing feature of the Christian system, was not peculiar to it. It entered into every dispensation of religion communicated by God. A multitude of types and figures were employed, to shadow forth the great expiatory sacrifice, previous to his manifestation in the flesh. He was the Paschal Lamb whose "blood, sprinkled on the posts and lintels of the doors,"* secured the families of Israel from the destroying angel, in the night when God slew the first-born of Egypt: "Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us." He was prefigured by all those burnt-offerings which were daily offered in the temple, and especially on the day of annual atonement, when the blood of the victim was carried by the high-priest into the holy of holies. The goat that was slain on that occasion, and whose blood was presented before the mercy-seat, prefigured the vicarious death of Christ, and his entrance into heaven; the other, called the scape-goat, which, after having the sins of the congregation‡ II. This part of our Saviour's character engages the attention and adoration of the heavenly world. 1. They adore this matchless display of love in his condescending to become man, to endure reproaches and sufferings, and at length to expire on the cross, to rescue the guilty from ruin. These benevolent spirits are not unaccustomed to perform kind offices for men: they often appeared under the ancient economy in visible form, to warn, to instruct, and to comfort; so they are still "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." But nothing which they ever performed bore any resemblance to the incarnation and sufferings of Jesus Christ. On no other occasion did love ever stoop so low, endure so much, or operate in so free and spontaneous a manner. He who assumed nothing in making himself equal with God "took upon him the form of a servant, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross." In his mysterious descent, he passed by superior orders of being, to invest himself with human flesh. He who was the "Wonderful, the Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father," condescended to become the "Son given," and the "child born." And never was humiliation so deep, never was there reproach and infamy so extreme as that which he endured. Loaded with the most shameful appellations, and persecuted throughout the whole of his life, in its last scenes he was arraigned before Pontius Pilate, smitten on Exod. xii. 7, 13. † 1 Cor. v. 7. ་ Lev. xvi. 2, 20-34. Heb. ix. 7-15. Phil. ii. 7, 8. the face, derided, clothed with mock robes, buffeted, scourged, spit upon. Never were there such indignities heaped on any head as on that which was destined to wear many crowns. And for his sufferings !who can contemplate that hour of darkness in the garden of Gethsemane, when his soul was overwhelmed with amazement and horror, or behold his lingering torments on the cross, without being appalled? It is a trial to human fortitude to be obliged merely to think of what he actually endured. And for whom? For the sinners of Jerusalem! for many of that infatuated multitude who were impatient for his crucifixion: for some, there is reason to believe, who were employed in nailing him to the cross! for a Saul, who was "breathing out threatenings and slaughter" against his followers: for millions of proud and daring offenders, whom this unparalleled love was to soften and disarm! 2. They contemplate and adore in the death of Christ a new display of the divine perfections. The wisdom and the power of God are every way manifest. His goodness may be traced in innumerable portions of his works. He had displayed his justice in the punishment of fallen angels, who were reserved in chains of darkness against the judgment of the great day. But there remained a new view of the divine character. God was pleased to present himself in a new light to the adoration of his creatures. He was pleased to show, in the same transaction, the most determined hatred to sin, with the utmost compassion to the sinner; the most inflexible adherence to rectitude, with the utmost riches of grace to the undeserving ;- 66 a just God, yet a Saviour." He resolved to exhibit in the person of his Son a new spectacle to the universe: a person the most majestic, and the most humble; the most powerful, and the most compassionate; an authority which should subdue to itself "all principality;"-a Saviour who should "feed his flock like a shepherd;"-" the Lion of the tribe of Judah," and "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." 3. They rejoiced at the immense accession of happiness which they perceived to flow from the death of Jesus Christ. (1.) How safe is the worship of Christ! (2.) How necessary to inquire how we stand affected towards the Saviour! (3.) How much the supreme love of Christ, and an humble affiance in his merits, tends to prepare for the happiness of heaven! XVI. THE GLORY OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM. PSALM CXlV. 11.-They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom. THE absolute dominion of God, as the universal Proprietor and Lord, is an object which deserves most devoutly to be celebrated. It is, in |