2. It has an appointed time.

It is to be at the end of the world; by it the scene of time will be brought to a close-the transactions of earth shut up. God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world. There is no uncertainty with God as to the time. That is settled.

II. CHRIST WILL BE THE JUDGE.

He who now sits on the throne of grace, dispensing the blessings of his mercy, will then be seated on the throne of judgment. And consider that he has a perfect right to bring every one to account, not only because he is God, but because of his having bought the whole race with his blood. He is also perfectly qualified, for he knows all things; not only how many sins have been committed, but also how many offers of mercy have been refused-how many opportunities of securing salvation have been slighted or misused -and how many times the Holy Spirit has been resisted. He is omnipotent, and can compel the attendance of the sinner at the judgment-seat, however unwilling. He is perfectly just; so that from his decision there is no appeal. Of all the millions that will then receive their sentence from his lips, there will not be one individual to impeach its equity.

III. THE TRANSACTIONS OF THAT DAY.

All shall then stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. All of every class and condition. You who now listen to my voice, must listen to the voice of your judge.

1. You will be judged for every thing with which you had any connexion in time.

You must give account of your privileges—your sabbaths -your sermons-your opportunities. You must be judged as to your actions-secret and open-whether you have forgot them or not. For your words, whether evil or otherwise : the tendency of your words will be the subject of examination. For your thoughts and feelings. In a word, you must be judged for what you have done, and for what you have left undone.

2. The sentence will be immediately fulfilled.

You will either be removed at once to heaven, or banished to hell. There is no higher court: from the decisions of this day there is no appeal. Now it is either everlasting life, or an eternal hell.

Y

J.

LXXXIX.

THE EXALTATION OF THE REDEEMER.

HEB. X. 12-13.-"But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool."

The subject of the apostle's contemplation is the Redeemer-a subject never out of place-a theme never inappropriate. View him,

I. IN THE SACRIFICE HE OFFERED.

With the sacrifice of Christ our dearest hopes are connected. We have forsaken the law of our God; renounced the guidance and control of our Maker; and followed the impulses of principles and passions, whose only object is to hurry us to destruction. But behold the device of infinite wisdom, and the triumph of abounding mercy: Jesus suffers for our sins, "the just for the unjust, to bring us to God." 1. His sacrifice was voluntary.

It was not a constrained consent to become the sinner's substitute: " Lo, I come," is his language, "to do thy will, O God." And having once undertaken the redemption of our race, he never looked back; his consent to become our substitute was never, for one moment, the subject of regret. Never did the captive long so earnestly for the day of his release, nor the warrior for that of his triumph, as Jesus did for the period when he could say, 'It is finished."

2. His sacrifice was sufficient.

The sacrifices under the Mosaic economy were many, be cause it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin; his sacrifice was one; by it sin is sufficiently atoned for. It was one; hence we argue its universal merit -its continual value-and its perpetual application.

3. His sacrifice was vicarious and painful.

A sacrifice for sins, his whole life was one sacrifice; from the manger to Calvary was one offering. By this sacrifice hell is vanquished-man liberated-heaven peopled-God glorified.

View him,

II. IN THE POSITION HE AFTERWARDS ASSUMED.

For ever sat down on the right hand of God." This position exhibits

1. His satisfaction in the completion of his work.

"Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame." "We see Jesus for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour." From the sacrifice of Christ there flow to the world great and inestimable blessings: "Men shall be blessed in him, yea, all nations shall call him blessed." This is a consummation that yields him the sweetest delight. He rejoices in the utter discomfiture of the adversary-in the rescue of the prey out of the hands of the mighty-in the conversion of sinners to himself-and especially in the praise which is presented by the ranks of his redeemed before his throne.

2. As the object of adoration in a new character.

He had received the praises of angelic intelligences before -he had been the subject of their praise when they witnessed his creative power; then "the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy." But now they witness a manifestation of his character for which no previous display had prepared them. The connexion of Infinite with finite-the union of God with man-the retaining the nature for ever-was a development of the Divine character for which angels were not prepared. These things they desire to look into; hence he is the theme of their continual adoration.

3. As the pledge of the believer's future exaltation.

There is nothing in the glory that surrounds the Redeemer which appears at all desirable to a wicked man; but to the believer the presence of Christ gives beauty, splendour, and brilliancy to the glory and enjoyments of heaven; he, therefore, longs to be there. Here is the pledge that you will be there; for where he is, you are to be also. O believer in Christ, rest assured that you will be nothing the loser by your attachment to him, or by what you suffer for his name. View him,

III. IN THE EXPECTATION IN WHICH HE NOW INDULGES.

He is waiting for the destruction of his foes, and for the success of his cause.

1. The destruction of his foes.

These are sin and death; the devil is already conquered, and is held in chains. Sin-the foe of God-the abominable thing-shall be destroyed. Sin ought never be contemplated, but in connexion with the death of Christ. Death -how vast its reign-how mighty its empire—yet it shall be destroyed.

2. The success of his cause.

Sin shall be done away-the misery it has caused shall finally disappear—the impenitent and the first transgressors shall be imprisoned together-all things shall be placed under his feet.

R.

XC.

THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST.

HEB. ix. 24-26.-"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others; (for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world :) but now once, in the end of the world, hath he appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

The very general prevalence of animal sacrifice, both in ancient and modern times, shows that that peculiar and bloody rite is of divine origin. Without some express revelation from heaven, sacrifices could never have been offered. For what connexion can be discovered between the slaughter of an animal, and the expiation of human guilt? It is highly probable that the first death that took place after the introduction of sin into the world, was that of a victim offered in sacrifice. Sacrifice was anciently presented, and was acceptable merely because it was divinely instituted, in relation to that splendid and amazing plan of redemption which the angels desired to look into. In our text there is a comparison carried out betwixt the priesthood and sacrifices of the preceding dispensation, and the one offering and priestly office

of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord and Saviour is here exhibited to us

I. IN THE OFFICE HE SUSTAINS.

He is a priest. One design of the apostle in this most luminous and eloquent epistle is to show that Christianity, so far from discarding the doctrine of atonement, carries it out, and consummates it in the death of Christ. So far from having no sacrifice and no priest, we have a sacrifice to which every other pointed, and from which they derived their value; we have a priest who is pre-eminently superior to all who ever offered the blood of bulls and goats as oblations to the Supreme; who has presented richer blood and a nobler sacrifice, the sacrifice of himself.

1. His qualifications.

Jesus Christ is eminently and unspeakably qualified in every respect. He is a partaker of our common nature; and therefore he is able to sympathize with us. What a delightful thought to the christian, that he has not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Jesus Christ is eminently holy. "He knew no sin;" he was at an immeasurable distance from it; he was utterly unacquainted with it. In this respect the ancient priesthood failed to represent him, but it will be remembered there was a typical imagery of it which was most striking and significant. They had to go through a number of ceremonies that they might be ritually holy; but our High Priest needs no such sacrifice: " For such an High Priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled; separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice first for himself." Again; he was divinely appointed. "Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten thee," also said "Thou art a priest for ever."

2. He performs every duty which the office includes.

The priest had to offer sacrifice: "Wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat to offer.' And what does he present?

What does he present? Silver and gold? No! we are not redeemed with corruptible things, "such as silver and