SERMON XVIII. ON THE DEATH OF CHRIST. A SACRAMENTAL DISCOURSE. ST. MARK, xv. 37. "And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the Ghost." THESE words, brethren, refer to an event, at the consummation of which the veil that covered the most holy place was rent from the top to the bottom, the graves yielded up their dead, the earth quaked, the Heavens were enwrapped in clouds, and nature was convulsed to her centre. This awful event we are now assembled to commemorate. Lend me your attention, therefore, whilst, waving the ceremony of preamble, I enter upon the immediate consideration of it. The present exercise shall offer four views of the death of Christ; it is an atonement for the sins of the world; it is the substance of ancient types and the accomplishment of ancient predictions; it is a crime on the part of his murderers, unparalleled in the annals of human guilt; it is a source and spring of perfect morality. - In the first place. We are to view the death of Christ as an atonement for the sins of the world. That such was its nature and tendency; is abundantly evident from the circumstances attending it; and perhaps from nothing more than the otherwise inexplicable terrors which seized our Lord at the prospect of his decease. Never, apparently, was any man more shaken at the approach of death than was Jesus Christ; and yet certainly never had any man so little cause of alarm at the approach of death. Never, apparently, was any man more shaken at the approach of death than was Jesus Christ. Witness Gethsemane and witness Calvary. The sacred writers tell us of the sorrow he experienced. "My soul is exceeding sorrowful; even unto death."* They tell us of his agony: "and being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."† They tell us of his cries and tears: "in the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death.”‡ They tell us that he used such words as these, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:"§ and in the extremity of his sufferings, when earth and Heaven seemed to keep aloof from the persecuted victim, they describe him as raising the cry of importunate agony to the Almighty Father; "My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?"|| Such were the terrors of our Lord at the prospect of death. But certainly never had any man so little cause of alarm on this ground: never man might be expected to meet dissolution with so much firmness: and that for the following reasons. FIRST.-Christ died confessedly in the service of God and man. But when men suffer for those whom they love and revere, their sufferings are ordinarily borne with more patience and tranquillity. Further.-Christ died perfectly assured of the justice of his cause and the guiltlessness of his life. When, in his expiring moments, conscience recalls to the sinner the memory of his crimes, where is the heart that will not feel its lash? But who will name the crime that could excite remorse in the breast of our Redeemer, whose life was a continued exhibition of every virtue and every duty, faith and righteousness, zeal and charity, prayer and meditation? · Mat. xxvi. 38. Luke, xxii. 44. + Heb. v. 7. Mat. xxvii. 46. § Mat. xxvi. 39. Again. Christ died fully convinced of the soul's immortality. He who, having lived an infidel, expires in doubt; who, like the emperor of old, asks of his departing spirit, whither, poor flutterer, whither art thou going, and where is thy destination? may well shudder at the black and shoreless gulph of non-existence. But he who knows that when dust returns to dust, the spirit returns to God who gave it; and that beyond these visible Heavens, blissful abodes are prepared for the spirits of the just made perfect; from him less terror might be expected. Jesus Christ knew this. He knew that the soul is immortal and destined to live ever happy in the realms of glory and peace. For by him who now died was life and immortality brought to light. Finally.-Christ died assured of the heavenly recompense. The place of torment; the worm that never dies; the fire that is not quenched; could convey no fears to the divine Saviour, who saw Heaven open to receive him. There were circumstances of more than common splendour to attend his reception. Because he had made himself of no reputation, God was in return to exalt him highly and give him a name above every name. The clouds of Heaven were to form his triumphal car; and angels and archangels and the glorious hosts above were to hail his approach; "Lift up, your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in."* I have read of martyrs who have braved all that is severe and terrible in death: I have somewhere read of a Christian woman, who, when persecution was at work and mul- ̧ ́ titudes having fallen beneath its arm, had reddened with their blood her path to suffering, forgetting the timidity of her sex, said with a heavenly smile, "our persecutors are distributing crowns, and I am going to receive one:" but Jesus, in the prospect of death, sweated as it were great drops of blood; and in the pains of death, cried aloud, “My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?" Inexplicable mystery! * Psalm, xxiv. 7. Mat. xxvii. 46. And is it, then, really inexplicable? To them who reject the atonement, unquestionably it is. To them who in faith receive this doctrine, the mystery is unfolded. Christ "was. wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."* "God spared not his own Son, but freely gave him for us all-he made him sin for us-he made him a curse for us." And in order more effectually and perfectly to accomplish this great purpose, the prince of darkness, we have reason to believe, was allowed a more than ordinary freedom of access to his soul. Well, therefore, might the Saviour of the world, pressed by the load of its accumulated sins, and encompassed moreover, by the inconceivable horrours of satanic influence, tremble in every limb, agonise at every pore, and raise the loud cry, "My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?"‡ In the second place:--We are to view the death of Christ as the substance of ancient types, and the accomplishment of ancient predictions. On whatever period of the church we fix our meditations, we discern some emblem, or some intimation of redemption by the blood of Christ. No sooner had Adam sinned, than the promise was given, "the seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent;" and this promise was renewed to Abraham and the patriarchs. If the blood of a lamb was sprinkled on the doors of the Jews, it was typical of "the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world." If the rock stricken in the desart gave water to the tribes of Israel, "that rock," says the apostle, "is Christ." If the brazen serpent, lifted up for them to look to, healed their wounds, even so was the Son of man lifted up on the cross, that all the ends of the earth might look to him and be saved. The sacrifices refer us to him who was set forth to be a propitiation for sin."** The victims refer us to him "who . * Isaiah, lii. 5. † Cor. v. 21.-Rom. viii. 2.-Gal. iii. 13. Ma. xxvii. 46 Genesis, iii. 15. 1 Peter, i. 19. 20. 1 Cor. x. 4. ** Romans, iij. 25. 1 3 through the eternal spirit, offered himself without spot to God." The animal who went into the wilderness loaded with the curses of Israel, refers us to him "who suffered on Mount Calvary, without the gates of Jerusalem." Let us hear what the prophets say of Christ, in allusion to the sacrifice which he was to accomplish for the sins of the people. By Isaiah it is written, "He was oppressed, and he was afflict ed; yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? för he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken." By Daniel it is written, "Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself."§ By Zechariah it is written, "Awake, O sword! against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." By David it is written in a psalm, applied by our Lord to himself, "My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God! I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me, laugh me to scorm they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, he trusted in the. Lord, that he would deliver him: let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him.”¶ • In the third place:-We are to view the death of Christ as a crime on the part of his murderers, unparalleled in the annals of human guilt. Here, brethren, language fails; nor can any images be found to approach the horrible reality. Let us bring to our remembrance that mildness of character ever so conspicuous in our blessed Master; the fervour of his piety; the humility and benignity of his intercourse with *Hebrews, ix. 14. †Hebrews, xiii. 12. ‡Isa. liii. 7. 8. § Daniel, ix. 26, Zechariah, ii. 7. ¶ Psalmi, xxii. 1. 2. 6—8. BB |