many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day." "But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" "And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer."

From the prophetic declarations of God then, and from the repeated testimony of our Lord himself, we find that the great object of the Son of God in coming into our world was to suffer and die. This was to be the consummation of his mission-all was to end in this; and this he seems to have had constantly before his view.

And even after his resurrection we find him again adverting to his sufferings as indispensable to the fulfilment of his mission, "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?"

And why all this suffering, and why this death, inflicted on "the holy child Jesus." "Not for

he "cut off."

himself," certainly, as Daniel had predicted, was He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and put him to grief, and "make his soul an offering for sin."

Then there was a cause-a necessity for this strange and most wonderful proceeding, or God would not have permitted it. And far we need not go to seek it, for in every one of us it may be found. 66 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way: and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Jesus Christ, then, the holy Son of God, by becoming "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," rendered all honour to the just law of God, and purchased, at the price of his blood, redemption and righteousness for man. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe."

And hence it was that the Divine Redeemer acquired the glorious title of "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."* And hence his

Jeremiah xxiii. 6.

authority to deck with "the robe of righteousness"* all those who believe on his name.

Let us now hear one who was every way qualified to give testimony on this most important of all questions that can occupy the attention of inan. 'Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith; That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

*Isaiah lxi, 10.

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

"No more, my God, I boast no more

Of all the duties I have done;

I quit the hopes I held before,
To trust the merits of thy Son.

Now for the love I bear his name,
What was my gain I count my loss,
My former pride I call my shame,
And nail my glory to his cross.

Yes, and I must and will esteem

All things but loss for Jesus' sake:
Oh may my soul be found in him,
And of his righteousness partake.

The best obedience of my hands
Dares not appear before thy throne;

But faith can answer thy demands

By pleading what my Lord has done."

CHAPTER V.

"And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come.
And let him that heareth say, Come.
And let him that is athirst come.

And whosoever will,

Let him take the water of life freely."

The Last Proclamation.

THE GENEROUS OFFER OF THE USE OF IT TO ALL, WITH HELP TO PUT IT ON AND WEAR IT.

OFTEN has it been remarked that the Bible, unlike all human books, opens with a sublime majesty of expression that at once stamps it with the impress of a divine origin—

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Here is sublimity in perfection, and at a height to which human imagination never could have reached!

The closing sentences of the Bible are remarkable. JESUS, the Redeemer, asserts his titles and dignity-gives an unlimited invitation to all to come to him-guards, by an awful malediction, the things written in the book-and promises to come quickly; to which we are taught to respond,

H