and exhibited as plainly and forcibly as in any other portion of the sacred writings. Our text, though connected with a prediction in some respects difficult and obscure, and though presented in phraseology highly figurative, yet clearly embodies two fundamental articles of the Christian faith, namely, the sacrificial character, and the mediatorial glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. To these important subjects we propose to call your attention. We observe then, in the FIRST PLACE, THAT THE TEXT REPRESENTS THE SON OF GOD AS SUSTAINING A SACRIFICIAL CHARACTER. 1. In the sublime vision before us, John beheld the Redeemer under the symbol of a Lamb,—an emblem of his innocence, meekness, and submission. Under this figure he is often represented in both the Old and New Testament writings. The paschal lamb, annually slain at the Jewish passover, and that presented daily in the temple as a morning and evening sacrifice, were both significant types of the Redeemer, for ages before he appeared in the flesh. In this character too, the prophet Isaiah foretold his immaculate purity, his perfect resignation, and his vicarious death. "He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a LAMB to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." John the Baptist, the herald of our Lord—the special messenger sent to prepare his way and proclaim his appearing, in directing his disciples to Christ as the true Messiah, exclaims, "Behold the LAMB of God which taketh away the sin of the world." It is worthy of remark that the same character Christ sustained on earth, he now bears in heaven. St. John beheld him as a "Lamb" in the midst of the throne; and in the book of Revelation "The Lamb" is his most frequent appellation. But the Lamb was seen under extraordinary circumstances. It was not a Lamb in the fold, or amongst the flock, but a Lamb in the midst of the throne, and it appeared as it had been slain. It was a Lamb that had been offered in sacrifice; thus affording an instructive representation of the sacrificial character of Christ-an emblem of the great atonement he made for the sins of the world. 2. The condition of mankind was such as absolutely required an atonement to secure our salvation. "We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God;" and sin being a violation of God's righteous law, renders us justly liable to the condemnation and punishment that law denounces. But "the wages of sin is death;" and "the soul that sinneth it shall die." Thus it became essential either that the penalty of sin should be inflicted in all its rigour, or that full satisfaction should be made for the sinner; either that the transgressor should be actually consigned to the woes, the anguish, and despair of everlasting wrath, or that an adequate atonement should be accomplished. This is what justice required; and for God to have pardoned the offender, and restored him to favour, without a full and perfect atonement, would have been incompatible with the claims of justice, and subversive of the designs of the divine goverment. It would have annulled the authority of the law-interfered with the rectitude and stability of Jehovah's administration-thrown down the sacred guards of moral order, and weakened or destroyed every motive to confidence, reverence, and obedience. But God could not thus compromise his character, and tamper with his divine law. Such a proceeding would be to undeify himself. Therefore, if sinners must be pardoned and restored, it must be through means which should harmonize with the justice as well as the benevolence of his character; exhibit his inflexible displeasure against sin, as well as his tender compassion towards the sinner; and effectually guard the honour of his law, while it unfolds a dispensation of grace. Hence the necessity of an atonement-a propitiatory sacrifice; and this is just the character in which Christ is every where presented. Behold the Lamb of God, appearing in the midst of the throne as having been slain,-" Him hath God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness: that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." 3. Now in order that the death of the Lord Jesus should be perfect and available, as an atonement for sin, it was essentially requisite that these qualifications should characterize the sacrifice he offered, namely, That it should be the sacrifice of a being perfectly innocent-that it should be voluntarily offered-that it should be the sacrifice of a Divine person, and that it should be presented for the special purpose of atoning for sin. All these qualifications are seen combined in the character and work of Christ, for (a) He was an innocent victim. As the result of his miraculous conception, he was born free from the slightest taint of moral depravity, and through his whole life he remained innocent of any single act of transgression. The Scriptures of truth pronounce him holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. He resisted every temptation to evil, fulfilled every precept of the moral law, accomplished the whole will of God, and finally offered himself as a Lamb without blemish and without spot. Now this perfect purity and obedience of Christ, at once invested the law of God with sanctity and honour, and manifested his own moral fitness to be the Saviour of the world. It proclaimed him emphatically “THE LAMB OF GOD," spotless and acceptable in the sight of heaven. Moreover, our Lord being innocent of any personal transgression, was subject to no penalty of the law—was liable to no suffering on his own account. On the contrary, his perfect innocence and obedience to the law, gave him a legal title to the uninterrupted approbation of God, and a state of unmingled and everlasting happiness. Therefore his sufferings and death were plainly supererogatory—were such as the law could neither demand nor inflict on his own account. But the perfection of his character which rendered his sufferings unnecessary for himself, gave them an unexceptionable efficacy and acceptability as a substitute for others. (b) We observe, too, that his sacrifice was voluntarily made. None but a free-will offering can be pleasing to God. Such an offering was that presented by Christ. For being under no obligation from the law to suffer for himself, nor compelled by any necessity of his own nature to suffer for others, his great undertaking was voluntary, and sprang from his own free and spontaneous benevolence. He saw this apostate world in ruin—he pitied it, and came down to redeem it from everlasting death. It was not the sentence of Pilate, nor the act of the bloody executioners of that unjust sentence, that determined the death of Jesus, irrespective of his sovereign will. Neither men nor devils had power to take his life from him: it was not taken from him-he laid it down and permitted the injustice and cruelty of men to be exerted in accomplishing his own benevolent intentions. It was his own voluntary act in that he drank the bitter cup-that he suffered and died a ransom for mankind. How this fact rendered the sacrifice of Christ a sweet-smelling savour in the estimation of God the Father, is manifest from his own words-"I lay down my life for the sheep, therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it up again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (c) The sacrifice too was one of infinite worth, for it was the offering of a Divine person-the infinitely glorious Son of God-the uncreated, the self-existent, and eternal LOGOS, who, possessing every attribute, assuming every title, and exercising every prerogative of God, is emphatically declared the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person. We mean not to assert that the DEITY suffered and expired, but that the human nature of Christ, which actually bled, groaned, and died upon the cross, was intimately united with the Godhead, and that this mysterious union of the divine nature with the human, rendered the sacrifice the oblation of a Divine person, and impressed an infinite worth and efficacy upon the offering presented. (d) Moreover the sufferings and death of Christ were endured for the special purpose of making atonenent for sin. Not, as some have maintained, to present to his church merely a perfect example of meekness, resignation, and fortitude under suffering. Such an example was indeed perfectly exhibited in the Redeemer's passion; but this was not his primary object and design: nor was the object of his death merely to ratify the truths of his mission by sealing them with his blood as a martyr. Those truths did not need the attestation of his blood-they had been sufficiently confirmed by the splendid miracles he had wrought-the works that he had done bore witness of him that the Father had sent him. But he suffered as a sacrificial victim-as a Lamb slain to atone for sin, and procure the salvation of the world. His sufferings were not fortuitous or accidental-but designed and preordained. They were foretold in the pages of prophecy-they were contemplated by himself long ere he assumed the human form, and he came from heaven to earth with an intention to suffer. Four thousand years previously he had engaged in covenant to be the Redeemer of mankind, and in that character consented to be bruised and to die as a victim to Divine justice. Now, he appeared to fulfil the terms of the covenant-to die as a vicarious offering for guilty man. Thus, when the Saviour groaned in the garden of Gethsemane, and sustained an agony which, amid the chilling damps of midnight, caused him to sweat great drops of blood, falling down to the ground, it was to atone for our sins; and when he languished, thirsted, cried out in agony both of body and mind upon the cross, and finally expired, it was for this great, well defined, and specific object-to atone for sin. "He was wounded for our transgressions; bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed." As a consequence of these important facts, the sacrifice of Christ was infinitely efficacious. The victim was innocent and holy-the sacrifice was voluntarily made: it was the sacrifice of a Being of infinite perfections, and it was offered for the special purpose of atoning for sin. It therefore answered the claims of justice, fulfilled the purposes of Divine benevolence, and could not but be well-pleasing to God. 4. The text presents a clear manifestation of the Divine acceptance of this sacrifice. This is indicated by the position of the Lamb" HE STOOD" -and by his exalted situation, "He stood in the MIDST OF THE THRONE." The position of the Lamb evidently indicates the resurrection of Christ. When a lamb is suffering under the slaughtering knife, it lies prostrate in a languishing and expiring state. When the Son of God was arrested by the hand of divine justice as a victim for human guilt, we behold him prostrate on the ground, groaning in awful agony, and covered with a sweat of blood. From thence he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, to be condemned, insulted, and nailed to the cross, where having hung for six hours, he bowed his head and died. But the Lamb beheld by St. John was one which, though it had been slain, was now alive again, for it stood erect. On the third day after the crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead. His sufferings ended with the cross, and his humiliation with the grave. From thence a series of triumphs the most splendid burst upon our sight. Though as a man he died, by the power of his divinity he burst the barriers of death, and arose to declare the authority of his mission, the Godhead of his person, the sufficiency of his atonement, the divine acceptance of his work, and his complete victory over every foe. Observe too, his exalted situation-" He stood in the midst of the throne," in the most distinguished and dignified part of the heavenly world; exalted from the sepulchre to the heaven of heavens. On the fortieth day after his resurrection he ascended on high, leading captivity captive; and as he rose the angels met him to escort him to the skies; and as they approached the celestial city, broke out in the prophetic anthem,-“ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors: and the King of glory shall come in." Thus he entered, not by the blood of bulls and calves, but by his own blood, into the holy place, even into heaven itself, having obtained eternal redemption for us. What proof can we have more clear, decisive, and satisfactory, that the atonement of Christ is acceptable and well pleasing to God. Had not his sacrifice been complete-had there been the least imperfection in his character or work— had not all the demands of the violated law been satisfied, and every condition of his covenant fulfilled, justice would have retained his body in the grave, the triumphs of his resurrection would never have been known, and the glad tidings of a finished salvation never have been proclaimed. But lo! the Lamb stands erect in the midst of the throne. God hath raised him from the dead, and placed him at his own right hand in the heavenly world. Here is the broad and legible seal of the Father's approbation upon the doctrines he taught, the character he sustained, and the sacrifice he presented. 5. The text teaches also the perpetual efficacy of the Saviour's sacrifice. The Lamb appeared as it had been slain, that is, newly slain. For the death-wound was obvious-the deep and fatal gash was in view, and the blood on the throat and breast indicated recent slaughter. Sometimes Christ is represented as "The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," to show, not only the ancient purpose of his death, but to express the fact that the efficacy of his death reaches backwards, through all past ages up to the period of man's first transgression. Here, however, he is described as a Lamb newly slain, as if the deed were just done, to indicate the freshness and abiding virtue of his merits at the present time and through all future ages down to the latest generation of men. What Christ was when he hung bleeding upon the cross, he now appears in heaven-a sacrificial victim. His wounds seem fresh; and the worth, validity, and efficacy of his passion are the same now as they were the moment he expired. If then they answered the requirements of justice, they do now—if then they fulfilled the demands of the law, they do now -the deed once done, its efficacy remains for ever. If when his blood flowed warm from his opened veins it could cleanse the foul conscience of the dying thief, and prepare him for an immediate admission into paradise, it has the same efficacy now. "Richly flowed the crimson river When our great Redeemer died; Oh! come quickly, And its cleansing virtue know." He always appears in the midst of the throne as a Lamb newly slain. 6. We observe also that the text affords an instructive representation of the Intercession of Christ. Intercession is an essential part of the Redeemer's office. It was indispensably necessary, that after he had sprinkled the altar of atonement with his blood, he should enter the Holy of holies to plead its merits before God, and make intercession for mankind. The text shows how this is accomplished. Not, it would seem, by vocal prayer, such as he offered in the days of his flesh, when he poured out his soul to God with strong crying and tears, but by the actual presence of his once crucified but now glorified humanity. When righteous Abel fell a victim to his brother's malice, God summoned the murderer to account, saying, "What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground." How did Abel's blood cry unto God? There was no vocal sound proceeding from the blood or mangled corpse of Abel, as it lay cold upon the earth. No! but here was a spectacle which appealed to God as the righteous Governor of the world. Here was murdered innocence, which called upon God's justice to interpose, and the appeal was irresistible. So the slain Lamb appears for us in the midst of the throne, and Christ's appearing in heaven with the same nature in which he suffered and died, speaks and pleads in our behalf. His presence there speaks that the deed is done-that the atonement has been made and accepted-that the law is magnified and honoured—that all the conditions which Christ took upon him are actually fulfilled, and therefore all the blessings of grace and salvation are purchased for mankind. Thus the presence of the slain Lamb makes a constant appeal to God; appeals to all his attributes-justice as well as mercy-truth as well as compassion, requiring him, in conformity with his own promises and perfections, to pardon the believing penitent, and bestow all the blessings which Christ has procured. As the Son has fulfilled all his engagements, the Father is bound to accomplish all his gracious words. Without the perfect sacrifice of our Lord, there would have been, as far as we can learn, an absolute obligation upon God to punish the rebel, but with that sacrifice there is (we speak with reverence) an equal obligation to pardon the contrite and returning sinner. This is the great truth-the consoling and unchangeable truth, which the presence of the Lamb speaks for us in heaven. It is thus he intercedes for the human race; and his blood speaketh better things than that of Abel. "Five bleeding wounds he bears, They pour effectual prayers,— |