sets the sinner free, only brought wrath to the uttermost upon the perpetrators.

But at last he is crucified, and that between two thieves -impaled like a Roman slave and malefactor on the now familiar but sacred cross, once a barbarous instrument of torture. The long spikes pierce his hands and feet, and thus he is lifted up between heaven and earth to draw all men unto him. Already many thousands behold the spectacle of woe; but ah, how few shed the sympathetic tear! As they come and go, they wag the head and pass the taunt-" He saved others, himself he cannot save!" In their sneering scorn they have stumbled unwittingly upon a profound truth; and, though it came as burning lava from the infernal fires of diabolic hatred, it entered into his thirsty soul like an invigorating draught of heavenly nectar. After all he was about his Father's business. But

“Lo, at noon 'tis sudden night!"

Darkness, impervious and palpable like the ancient Egyptian plague, deeper than midnight, fell upon the scene, and paralyzed the persecutors with terror, and the Victim Lamb, now entering the climax of his mighty sacrifice, is withdrawn from the profane eyes of men. The noise of many waters is stilled, for the waters are frozen with a nameless dread. Silence deep and universal reigns. The conscious universe is in agonizing, ignorant suspense, instinctively feeling that beneath this impenetrable darkness, in spite of this enthralling stillness, intense activities are at work. The mightiest spiritual forces are marshalled and concentrated in that awful hour around the Cross of Christ. He bears the brunt of them all; he is the focus point of the conflict between heaven and hell. Man afflicts him no more. He has filled up the measure of his iniquity; and, awe-stricken, he falls back to see the consequences of his act dip into impenetrable mystery and the blackness of darkness.

II. Let us now turn from human sin to consider the essential elements of the sacrifice of Christ. It was, first, his death; and, second, that death Divinely caused.

For although "both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together' against the holy child Jesus whom God had anointed; and though they did what God's hand and counsel predetermined to be done, yet that does not imply that God pre-ordained that the death of Christ was to be accomplished in the particular manner adopted by the conspirators. For what was it that God had determined should be done with Jesus Christ? It

was that he should suffer; but not that he should suffer in that particular manner, involving such fearful guilt. It was that he should die, but not necessarily upon the cross, placed there by wicked hands. "It is appointed unto all men once to die;" it does not therefore follow that all men must be murdered. It was appointed unto Jesus that he should die for the world; but it did not follow as a necessary consequence that the world should turn against him and put him to death. If the men he came to seek and save did so, they were doing, unknowingly and wickedly, what God had meant should be done in some way. A noble warrior once set out from home in solitary quest of a mighty giant that was desolating all the land, and slaying the people in thousands to quench his insatiable thirst for blood. As he rode along he espied in the distance an army marching over the plain in battle array, but undaunted he kept on his course. When he was discovered approaching, the leaders of that formidable host sent out a company to seize him, and bring him before them. It was the army of that giant he was in search of; and because he would give them no satisfaction about his intentions they sent him a prisoner to the giant's castle. Unresistingly he went. It was the very place he wanted to go to, that he might beard the lion in his own den, which he did, and slew him too, and scattered single handed all his hosts, and set the people of the country free. And he became their king, as he had been their saviour. So far as the accomplishment of his prescribed task was concerned, what did it matter how he got within grappling distance with his foe? It mattered much to those who were the unwitting instruments of their own destruction, and it was perhaps a shorter, sharper road he was taken; but his design, instead of being frustrated, was furthered, and brought to an equally triumphant issue. That noble warrior was Christ. He set out for this world that he might through death destroy him that had the power of death-that is, the Devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. And when his enemies crucified him they but took him the shorter, sharper road to the Citadel of giant Death, where he dealt the deadly blow that slowly but surely works the death of Death, and scatters all the hosts of hell.

2. The death of Christ was not the immediate result of his crucifixion, but of the direct agency of God. There are several considerations in support of this.

(a.) Though crucifixion usually ended in death, it was only because the victim was seldom if ever taken down from the cross until he died. It was a most lingering death of torturing

pain, of hunger and thirst. It was usually several days before death supervened, and seldom less than a whole day. But Jesus was only six hours upon the cross till he died; therefore we conclude that the immediate cause of death was not his being nailed to the tree, but some mysterious agency removed from human observation.

(b.) It is now a well understood fact that the physical symptoms that followed when the Roman soldier pierced the side of the deceased Jesus, indicate that the heart had been ruptured, and that this was the immediate physical cause of death, and not crucifixion. "And forthwith came thereout blood and water." Dr. Stroud, in his elaborate work on The Physical Cause of Christ's Death, has set this point at rest for everChrist died of a broken heart.

(c.) But we must look behind physical causes, and ask, What caused the breaking of Christ's heart? Sorrow, is the obvious reply. But whence the sorrow? One might say it was the long series of disappointments he had experienced in the course of his brief career, and especially the lamentable defection of faithful friends in his latest hours, when the malicious ingenuity of enemies was having such terrible manifestations. And who can doubt but these things did embitter his later hours? When about to enter on the final ordeal, it unspeakably distressed his sensitive spirit to think what treatment he was to receive from man, and from whose hands it was to come; and almost with his last breath he showed how it had pierced his heart like a sword when he prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

(d.) But any theory must be inadequate that fails to recognize a deeper cause of sorrow than the temporary sufferings that preceded and led up to his crucifixion. He was an outcast from men; but why that piercing cry that came from the heart of the supernatural darkness, freezing the blood of all listeners, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" It is a small thing to be forsaken of man, but to be God-forsaken, were it only for that brief period of mid-day darkness, would be enough to break the heart of the holy being who hung upon the cross. This was the bitterest ingredient in the cup given him to drink; all the rest was but surface froth. In the Garden of Gethsemane, before Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod, amid the deafening shouts and execrations of an infuriate mob, there was, deep down in his spirit, the agonizing anticipation that his Father would forsake him. With this to fill his mind, the scathe and scorn of feeble men might well give him but little concern, except for the injury they were doing themselves. God at last forsook him; his heart broke, and he died. This

is what God had determined beforehand should be done; and it was done, in spite of the fact that his cruel treatment and crucifixion rendered him an object of compassion while he survived, and made his ultimate death certain. And it would still have been done in some solemn and equally public manner had he, instead of being despised and rejected of men, been welcomed by all with heartiest appreciation of his Divine Mission. "It pleased the Lord to bruise him: He hath put him to grief."

3. But still the question rises, Why? There have been many answers, but only one completely satisfactory. His soul was made an offering for sin." "He was wounded for our transgressions; bruised for our iniquities.” "All we like sheep had gone astray, we had turned every one to his own way; but the Lord gathered upon him the iniquities of us all." The people that do not the law are accursed, but Christ became accursed for us, that we might be delivered from the curse. Its bitter essence consisted in being cast out from God's holy and blessed presence, where alone is life and peace; so Jesus, the holy one, the Divine man, was for a season forsaken of God, endured the curse, and in that dread hour of universal darkness and loneliness, exhausted the cup of Divine wrath for us; "magnified the law and made it honourable;" removed the legal barriers that obstructed the free flow of saving Grace from God, and declared his righteousness, that he might be righteous, when he entitles the believing sinner to inherit everlasting life for Jesus' sake.

And what was the spring of this wonderful substitution? It was love. "The Son of God loved me," therefore when he saw me perishing as a sinner, "he gave himself for me"-voluntarily, spontaneously, unreservedly, as only perfect love could do. "God so loved the world" of sinners with such a love of infinite compassion when he, as their judge, was compelled to declare them liable to pay the penalty of their eternal weal, "that he gave his only begotten Son" up to suffer the death incurred by them as a glorious expedient, consonant alike with sternest justice and tenderest mercy, "that whosoever believeth in him," as the God-provided and God-accepted substitute for them, "might not perish, but have everlasting life." God is love, "the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." And the Cross is its brightest revelation. "Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." But now we love him; because he first loved us."

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, blesshis holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all

his benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies !"

J. C.-F.

WHAT MINISTERS SHOULD BE.

SINCE the commission to the Christian Church, to "preach the Gospel to every creature," is so broad, and the work to be done is of such magnitude, and is fraught with results so important to every soul, it becomes a matter of the first moment that the preacher of the Gospel should have all the qualifications which are requisite for the accomplishment of his work in a most efficient manner. These qualifications are manifold; but that which takes the precedence of all others, and is manifestly paramount, is a new heart. Though he "speak with the tongues of men and of angels," and though he "have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge," yet, without a new heart, he is "as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." In order to instruct others as to what eternal life is, he himself must first know experimentally what that life is. In order to lead others in that narrow way that leads from a sinful world to glory on high, he himself must walk in that narrow way. In order that he be a leader of God's hosts, he himself must understand the tactics. In order that he be a sower of the good seed of life, he himself must possess that seed. In order that he may lead others to "the green pastures of God's love, and to the "still waters" of his grace, he himself must have tasted that love, and have that grace in his own heart-that "living water springing up into everlasting life."

A second qualification is, that he be sound as to his principles. Not only must his heart be renovated by grace, but his sentiments should be derived from the sacred oracles. A minister devoid of principle is a man who can not do good. He who professes to believe in a system of truth, should see to it that, it accords with the Word of God. His mind should clearly perceive the beauty, harmony, and utility of the doctrines which require truth in the inward parts and a blameless life; and his heart can not be too deeply impressed with their value and importance.

A third qualification is, that he should be mild and affable as to his disposition and deportment. Men are to be won to Christ. By the cords of love they may be drawn to him, but his ministers can never drive men to the Saviour by austerity. A haughty, imperious spirit is a disgrace to the ministerial