were substantiated; the action with the powers of darkness was over; the righteousness of the law was fulfilled; the payment of the price of redemption was completed; and the work which the Father gave him to do was finished in the highest degree of perfection. Accursed be the principle, which, directly or by interpretation, suggests that the Righteous Servant of Jehovah did his work partially or deceitfully, and went into the presence of his Father with a falsehood in his mouth, and a lie in his right-hand. Before he bowed his head and gave up the ghost, all was done that he had undertaken to do, and all was done well. The commendation which a part of his work extorted from people in the coasts of Decapolis, is just praise when extended to the whole. Informed that he had made the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, they said, "He hath done "all things well;" and when we read the histories of his life, from his birth to his death, we have reason to say, with respect to the whole complexly, and every part singly, he hath done all things well.

Secondly, In the mouth of the Sufferer, the word Finished is the language of success. The undertaking of our Lord Jesus Christ is an enterprize of great dignity and importance. Glorifying the perfections of God in the redemption of men sold under sin, and through fear of death subject to bondage, was his object. Laid in balance with this, the enterprises of heroes, singly and complexly, are vanities and trifles; and to succeed and put to this the finishing hand, was an exertion of unparalleled importance and consequence. Glory to God in the highest, our Undertaker hath succeeded. The administrations of this day are effects and demonstrations of his success.Unless he had succeeded, we should never have been enjoined to commemorate his attempt. A prophet, foreseeing the violent exertions of devils and men to break his purpose, and defeat his measures, says, "He shall not "fail nor be discouraged;" which is more than an insinuation, that opposition, which would discourage an ordinary undertaker, should not have that effect upon his strength and courage. It is very pleasant to read the language concerning his assurance of success which prophecy puts into his mouth: "For the Lord God will help me, there"fore shall I not be confounded, therefore have I set my "face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

"He is near that justifieth me, who will contend with me, "let us stand together; who is mine adversary, let him "come near to me. Behold the Lord God will help me, "who is he that shall condemn me; lo, they all shall wax old "as a garment, the moth shall eat them up." These bold and sublime professions and assurances of success operated on his courage, constantly and vigorously, through the trials and temptations of his life. When apprehended, condemned, and crucified, they had their full effect; and under their influence, before yielding up the ghost, he cried with a strong triumphant voice, "It is Finished."

Thirdly, In the mouth of the Sufferer, the word Finished is the signal of defeat, and the sound of victory. In his humiliation, our Lord Jesus Christ had a warfare to ac complish, as well as a race to run, and work to finish. Never was there such a conflict as that upon the cross. The prince of this world, with an invisible host of principalities and powers in battle array, on the one side; and on the other, the Prince of life single and alone, and to appearance, a weak, and friendless, and forsaken individual. The salvation of millions depended upon the event, and this did not hang a moment in suspense. Victory declared itself for the solitary Sufferer. The heel of the Prince of life was bruised, he fell and he died. But, in falling, he defeated the enemy; and, through dying, destroyed him who had the power of death! What shall we say to these things? The commemoration of the defeat of the enemy, and the victory of the conqueror, is the object for which we have assembled ourselves together; and every worshipper is addressed, by exhortations to the ancient Church, "O sing "unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvellous "things, his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him "the victory. Sing unto the Lord, for he hath done ex"cellent things, this is known in all the earth. Cry out "and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy "One of Israel in the midst of thee!"

Fourthly, In the mouth of the Sufferer, the word Finished is the shout of a triumph. Finished, in our text, is not the voice of a defeated, desponding, dying man, but of the mighty, the conquering, the triumphant God-man. An expositor, who could not mistake its force and meaning, adorns his description of the action, of which it is the expression, with the show of a splendid and magnificent

triumph: "Having spoiled principalities and powers, he "made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in "it.” On earth no show, or appearance of triumph, was exhibited; but a celebration began in heaven which is not yet ended, and which never will be ended. The word Finished reached the invisible throne, and diffused fulness of joy through every corner of heaven. Angels, looking down upon the cross, heard it pronounced, and on wings, swifter than the wings of the morning, flow with it into the midst of the general assembly of the spirits of just men made perfect. What hosannahs rose in that assembly, what psalteries, and harps, and voices, they used in the high praise of God we cannot know! But when the soul of our Redeemer ascended from the cross, and, with exceeding joy, entered into the presence of his Father, it is not against the sense of Scripture, to suppose that the praises of confirmed angels and redeemed spirits of men rose to new and higher degrees of accentuation. Nor is this all: The mighty word Finished shook the gates of hell, and forced howlings from the lowest cells of that bottomless dungeon. The wrath of the Lamb added to the heat of everlasting burnings, and a stream of brimstone from his cross pouring itself into the lake of fire, the whole face of hell became suddenly inflamed; and, for the new crimes which the adversarics of the Son of God committed, in effecting his crucifixion, justice ficted now and higher degrees of punishment,

After describing the person of the Sufferer; explaining the meaning of his last word; and illustrating the majesty of the action of which it is the expression; we shall open the way to the celebration of the action, in addresses and exhortations to believers and unbelievers.

Believers, This is not the day of girding sackcloth on your loins, and sitting in ashes, but of putting on the garment of praise, and appearing in clean linen, which is the righteousness of saints. If the Fellow of Jehovah, even the Man of his right-hand, had not been able to perform his enterprize, or to finish the work which he had begun, we might have cut off our hair, and called for mourning women to take up a wailing in Zion. But behold his work is finished, accepted, rewarded, and shall we not rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the Holy One of Israel! Every be

Hever, weak and strong, is now addressed in the language of ancient prophecy, "Awake, awake! put on thy strength, "O Zion! put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem!" And in the manner of David every believer should stir up himself, "Awake up, my glory! awake up, psaltery and "harp! I myself will awake early; I will praise thee, O "Lord, among the people; I will sing unto thee among the "nations, for thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds!" "Sing, O ye heavens, for the "Lord hath done it! Shout, ye lower parts of the earth," for the purchase of redemption is finished! "Break forth ❝nto singing, ye mountains! O forest, and every tree! for "the Lord hath, redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in "Israel!"

Believers, Turn toward the cress of the great Sufferer the eye of the understanding, and, with the hearing of faith, honour the last word which he uttered on this instrument of death. Language is not sufficient to display the riches of his glory, nor to express the majesty of his voice. Combinations of dissonant ideas, though mysterious and offensive to the ear of natural delicacy, are efforts of the weakness of language to express that which transcends expression. No combination of words seems harsher and more dissonant than glory and shame, triumph and weakness; but in the crucifixion of the Lord of glory, glorious shame and triumphant weakness met together, and upon the cloud which bang over him, stamped an union of qualities more beautiful and splendid than the colours of the rainbow, and at the same time more vivid and awful than the corruscations of lightning from his pavilion in the skies. Honour and dishonour, glory and shame, appear in his manner of finishing his enterprize by the death of the cross, and exhibit to the world objects it never beheld before,--a glorious shame, a joyful sorrow and a pleasant pain. "For the joy which was set before him, Jesus en"dured the cross, despising the shame." He was crucified in weakness; but in weakness performed that which the strength of the whole creation could not effect, spoiling principalities and powers, which were the enslavers and destroyers of mankind, and obtaining eternal redemption for millions of their slaves. If these mighty works were done in weakness, what is not his strength able to perform!

✓

Believers, From the day in which Jesus, on his cross, pronounced the purchase of redemption finished, look forward to the day in which he will pronounce, on his throne, the application of it finished. When the last of the seven ministers of vengeance poured out his vial into the air, "a great voice came out of the temple of heaven from the "throne, saying, It is done;" and in vision, when the new heaven and the new earth appeared, he who sat on the throne said unto John, "It is done: I am Alpha and Ome"ga, the Beginning and the End." Expect this glorious day. "Be ye also ready." "Gird up the loins of your "mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is "to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Hope of this grace encouraged Paul under suffering and temptation, and emboldened him to finish his course with joy. "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of "my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight; I "have finished my course; I have kept the faith. Hence"forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, "which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at "that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also who "love his appearing."

Believers, Lay up in your heart, and consider diligently in your exercise, the comprehensive and triumphant word which our Lord Jesus Christ uttered on his cross. Particularly remember and consider it on the mountain of communion; and in the paths of obedience; on the waters of affliction; in the deeps of temptation; and when entering into the valley of the shadow of death. On the mountain of communion, where you sit at his Table, remember and consider his efficacious and finishing word. Celebrations of the finishing of the purchase of redemption are means of representing, sealing, and applying to us the benefits of it; and though our communion is not restricted to these celebrations, his Table is an ordinance and mean of our fellowship, in his sufferings, death, and love. After hearing from his own mouth the word Finished, you may sit down at his Table in full assurance of faith, and eat and drink without fearing disappointment with respect to the enjoyment of the benefits of redemption under his administration. In the paths of obedience and self-denial, remember his efficacious and finishing word. In every cffort to mortify the members of the body of sin, and to per