blemish or spot; the holy one of God, harmless, undefiled;" yet however innocent, or holy in himself, "he was made sin for us;' he was constituted such by the imputation of our guilt, and as he assumed the debt he was answerable for the payment. “I am the good shepherd:" the faithful and true witness testifies concerning himself, "the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." Their lives were forfeited to my Father's justice, but I offer my life as a substitute for theirs, and my blood as the price of their redemption: I voluntarily die that they may live.

But it may be enquired by some, what is the consequence of this humiliation and death? Is there any benefit resulting to us from all this degradation, and suffering of another in our room? These advantages are expressed by the prophet, and are now to be illustrated. "The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed."

Among the blessings which result to man from the mediation of the Eternal Son, none is more frequently noticed than that of peace. The angels who announced his appearance in the world rapturously sing, "glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." As the Saviour rode in triumph to Jerusalem, the multitude cried out in transports of gratitude and joy, "blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the

highest." The sin of man kindled up the flame of war between heaven and earth. The Creator then became an enemy to man, who was formerly the favorite part of his creation. As the moral Governor of the world, HE was obliged, for evincing the rectitude of his government, and maintaining order in his dominions, to manifest his displeasure against disobedience, and against man on account of it. Thus we behold the Lord God coming forth immediately after the apostacy of our parents, and challenging with a holy jealousy, "hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?" He then put on the garments of vengeance, unsheathed his glittering sword, and "drove out the man:" He turned Adam out of Paradise, as a proof that he had forfeited his confidence, and was no longer worthy of his communion. But the Lord the Son seasonably interposed; assumed the nature which had sinned; undertook to suffer all that we were liable to suffer, and negociated a peace. "He hath

made peace by the blood of his cross: He is our peace who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition." And as the creditor is satisfied with the debtor, when the demand is fully paid; or as the prince is reconciled to the rebel when the punishment threatened against his crime is really executed, and the majesty of the law maintained, so the Father is reconciled to us through the obedience, and blood

of his co-equal Son. "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again-who also maketh intercession for us. We now joy in God through our Lord Jesus, by whom also we have received the recon

ciliation." The gospel which discloses this scheme of pardon is called the gospel of peace: The covenant which was ratified by the blood of the infinite Surety is called the covenant of peace: The Eternal Jesus who repaired the breach by finishing transgression, and bringing in everlasting righteousness is called the Prince of peace: God the Father, who has received from the substitute that satisfaction which he might have exacted from the sinner, is called the God of peace; and as a proof of this, "he raised from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ," just as the creditor orders the debtor to be released when the debt is discharged, and the bond is cancelled: "Mercy and truth, righteousness and peace," these seemingly opposite attributes of Deity, now meet together; they cordially embrace each other; harmonizing, concurring, co-operating in the salvation of man through the finished righteousness of Jehovah our Sponsor: Mercy is indulged in her most tender compassions towards the sinner, and truth is vindicated in the execution of all her threatnings against sin; peace walks abroad with the olive branch in her hand, and righteousness delivers up the indictment against us, having seized another

in our room. "There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus: The work of this righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of this righteousness shall be quietness and assurance forever."

Healing is another blessing which results to us from the sufferings of Jesus the Surety.-" By his stripes we are healed." This is another and glorious effect frequently ascribed to the virtue of the Saviour's cross. The prophet therefore asks, "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?" Is not the balm which grows upon Calvary a sovereign remedy for all the maladies of sin? Is not the Divine Saviour a Physician infallible in his skill, ever ready to pity those who apply, and administer to their relief; why then do men perish in their iniquities? Why do they wilfully languish, and die eternal victims to the disease of sin? And the evangelist mentions, "in the midst of the street of it, of the new Jerusalem, was there the tree of life, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Sin has converted this world into one great hospital: It has brought diseases both upon the bodies and the souls of men; diseases which are countless in their number, and desperate in their nature: Who can enumerate those frailties to which the body is liable, and those afflictions with which it is tortured in consequence of transgression? Who can paint in all its horrors

that remorse which often agitates, and harrows up the soul through a consciousness of guilt; those lusts which lurk malignantly in the heart; those disorders which infuriate the passions, and break forth in pride, envy, revenge, murders, adulteries, and those nameless abominations by which man becomes hateful to man? But for all these foul, complicated distempers the laver of the cross furnishes a sovereign antidote; from all these it effects a thorough, everlasting cure. "The chastisement" of the Son of God secured "our peace," and "his stripes our healing." "He was wounded"

in the garden, and on the cross, but from his pierced side issued forth a balm for "the healing of the nations;" it heals the disquieted conscience by expiating that guilt which is the cause of all its disquietudes; it heals the polluted heart by washing away its pollutions; it heals the disorderly, tumultuous passions by subduing them to the obedience of faith, and restoring them to their primitive order; it heals the very maladies of the body by procuring for it a resurrection to im mortal vigor and glory. Thus all the disorders which have seized either the bodies or the souls of men in consequence of the sin of the first Adam are removed by the interposition, and merit of the second Adam: Every wound is carefully bound up, infallibly and eternally healed through the virtue of the balm of Gilead, and the compassion and skill of the Physician there. The remedy