CHAPTER II.

REDEMPTION.

1. Be humble, ye high hills; bow your lofty tops, ye towering cedars; hide your heads ye dwellings of the proud; peace, ye winds; be still ye waves; silence, ye roaring tempests, and rocking whirlwinds.

2. Doth not awful silence well become you, while we speak of the wonderful agony of our God?

3. Silent and abashed ye were when he suffered now attend, while a sinner hears the glad tidings, while the voice of great joy breaks into the heart and house of the mourning.

4. Behold that cross! lift up thine eyes, and wonder-son of man, behold and adore.

5. Was ever goodness like the goodness of thy God? was ever mercy like his mercy, was ever sorrow like his sorrow? Listen and be silent; abominate thyself, and cleave to thy Redeemer.

6 Lo, yonder he is stretched!-lo, yonder he bleeds!-lo, yonder he hangs on the accursed tree!-the son of God!-the meek, the mild, the blessed Jesus!-a horrid spectacle! between earth and heaven!

7. Even the holy angels hide their heads and weep!

8. What then shall man? for whom the son of the, Almighty is thus raised aloft on the tree of infamy? thus stretched out! thus bleeding, thus expiring in tortures inconceivable, and far above the reach of human thought!

9. His stony heart should melt--his melting heart should weep great drops of blood.

10 Behold no diadem of gold adorns his Saviour's head; no costly jewels sparkle round his brows: his crown is only a sharp crown of thorns -his jewels crimson rubies of his own most precious blood!

11. Oh canst thou then contemplate and be cold? canst thou survey such sufferings and not pity? Art thou a man? art thou not a sinner? canst thou reflect; oh, canst thou remember, all, all is for thee-and still be ungrateful!

12. See! through the crashing sinews of thy benevolent Redeemer's tender hands, the hardy executioner hath driven the piercing sharp pointed nails!

13. The blood springs forth at each barbarous blow-and the triumphant sufferer, amid such agony, complaineth not! Child of affliction! wilt thou then ever dare to complain!

14. Blessing and health fell from those handsthey dropped comfort as the honey comb-Why oh man art thou an enemy to thyself!

15. Why hast thou thus prevented the hours of thy own felicity! why are those hands transfixed

and confined? why nailed to yon ignominious tree the feet, which, unwearied went about doing good?

16. See how the sovereign healer of mankind -see how the love of God and man hangs on those four great wounds his whole body's weight horribly supported by the acute agony of those afflicting lacerations!

17. How can I, sinful dust and ashes, how can I oh my lord, dare to contemplate thy wounds and sorrows without the lowest prostration of soul and body?—how can I behold thee thus suffering and my heart not burst at the sight, and rivers of tears not gush from my eyes?

18. Oh I will love thee, I will adore thee above all things! yea thy love shall be the constant meditation of my soul.

19. Hear my soul! for it is the last voice of thy expiring Redeemer-hark!--for all nature is silent! and makes a solemn pause- Eloi, Eloi,lama sabachthani !

20. Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani-what words can utter that distress-or who can express thy agonies?

21. My God-oh wast thou forsaken of thy father-why, ah why ?-unsearchable depth of anguish !

22. "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if ever sorrow was like unto my sorrow, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger!"

23. Thus long since spoke the prophetic voice

--Here was the full completion; here sin and death were triumphant, and here were poured forth the last struggles of mine and every condemned sinner's soul!

24. My God, it is finished: it is finished !--oh, my Saviour, why that last and piercing groan?

25. I see thy head falling upon thy sacred bosom--I see and tremble to behold the wondrous mystic stream flowing from thy precious side!

26. I hear thy expiring groan-universal nature heareth it, and standeth aghast-the affrighted sun veils in thick darkness his extinguished splendour--the earth shaketh exceedingly, mountains tremble with fear and astonishment---the rocks are rent-the graves are opened, the dead arise and the day is turned unto night for the light of the world ceaseth.

27. Sinner! it was thy God who thus suffered in thy nature, that thou mightest partake of his, and not die the death eternal.

28. Sinner! his name is JESUS.

29. For thee he took that name, that he might save thee from thy sins, that he might redeem thee from the wrath of the Father, and become thy propitiation and ransom.

30. Adore and wonder; be humble and fear: so shall thy bosom feel the divine ray-and thy heart burn with new comforts.

31. Sinner! his name from all eternity is JEHOVAH: for thee he submitted to be called Saviour.

32. Oh rejoice that Jehovah is thy strength and support: sing with the voice of sweetest melody "Jehovah is my Jesus and redeemer."

33. Meditate hereon, and be meek; look on that cross, and learn---if thou canst fathom its depth----whence such love to thee.

34. Let the name Jesus obtain a place and dwell in thy heart; thy fears will then vanish as the early dew before the sun, and thou shalt find peace.

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