this matter? (c) The humblest offerings of help Christ will not refuse. For in His condescension He finds refreshment and comfort in them. Our great business is to minister to the dying, yet everliving Christ; by trying to be like Him; by loving His brethren; by seeking His lost ones; by depending upon Him, and fully trusting Him.

III. THE RUDE REBUKE. "The rest said, Let be." i.e., "Leave Him alone," "Don't help Him"-no, not so much as with a drop of vinegar. The kind act was disapproved, and the doer of it rebuked. (a) This is ever the world's attitude towards the cry of Christ and those who would attend to it. It would hinder any from ministering to Him. Its hindrances and discouragements assume a variety of forms. (b) This is practically a reflection of the conduct of cold, formal, and unconsecrated Christians. They would leave Christ, so they say, "to do His own work." They discourage all "Evangelistic" effort all enthusiastic devotion. But what then of the Divine thirst and cry? Have these no voice? Yes-but only to annointed ears. (c) This is truly a picture of the treatment Christ receives from every unsurrendered soul. "I will not bless and help the dying Christ," such seem to say. "He shall not

CHRIST IN THE LIGHT OF ETERNITY. (a) It will surely be slaked. "He shall see of the travail of His soul." In the long run there will be no disappointment for Christ. His atonement will prove no haphazard work, for (b) the thirst of Christ secures the everlasting refreshment of all who believe in Him. By His thirst the river of life has been opened. Such a sacrifice was needed to procure such a boon. We owe everything to the death of Christ. Eternity alone can unfold all the blessing it has secured. (c) If we are truly "crucified with Christ," we also shall thirst after the salvation of our fellows. And the keenness of our thirst will be measured by the greatness of our sympathy with the Saviour. We shall meet with rebuffs and discouragements, but oh what refreshment, what life, what comfort it will be to us to lead some wanderer to the Saviour's feet. Such will be "our glory and our joy before our Lord Jesus at His coming."

BRISTOL.

WALTER J. MAYERS.

THERE is much of shame about the Cross, but there is much glory; and these are glorious words. We have already heard from the dying Saviour's lips words which the Psalmist penned centuries ago. "While the crucifixion was going on Jesus mentally repeated the several verses of Psalm xxii." It would seem that he has now reached the last. Speaking of the Lord's righteousness, the Psalmist says, "He hath done it"; and the Saviour says, "It is done." In no other lips have the words ever had so deep and full a meaning. "Finished was His holy life-with His life His struggle with His struggle His work-with His work the Redemption-with the Redemption the foundation of a new world." We look at these wondrous words from various standpoints, and doing so we

reached, the darkness is passed, the relief bas come. And the Saviour was glad. The strain had been a fearful one, the task only possible to a love more than human. The great work was cheerfully undertaken, and now the release is gladly accepted.

II. A SIGNIFICATION OF ACCOMPLISHED TOIL. What a marvellous "it" is here. To what is reference made? Surely to the fact that (a) the types of Scripture are all fulfilled; (b) the promises and prophecies all carried out; (c) the Son's obedience perfected; (d) Divine justice fully satisfied; (e) the everlasting righteousness brought in. Nothing left undone that was necessary to the glory of God in saving men. It is a great thing for us to hear such words as these. Never man spake like this man in life and in death.

III-A SONG OF EARNEST SATISFACTION. That Christ entered with all His heart and soul into the work of human redemption admits of no doubt. With what joyful satisfaction must He have reached the point at which He

could say, "It it finished." And what did this mean to Christ? (a) My Father is glorified and is well-pleased; (b) My people are safe; (c) My mission is accomplished. These were the notes in Christ's sweet song. Their echoes have come down the ages and have reached us. Shall we not join in the Saviour's satisfaction, and sing with love and gratitude of His great redemptive work?

IV. A SHOUT OF COMPLETED VICTORY. "He cried with a loud voice." And proclaimed His triumph over sin, death, the world, Satan, and hell. What the Saviour shouted aloud let us not whisper. Christ's triumph was not a sham one. The powers of darkness quailed before Him. He "bruised the serpent's head." And His great victory was for us. We conquer through faith in Him. "Sin shall not have dominion over you." Only by the Cross can the curse be removed and the crown be won.

V.-A SENTENCE OF UNIVERSAL

HOPE. "It is finished." This is the central truth of the Gospel. This is the lever which can uplift the fallen universe. Let us, fearless, believe in Christ's finished work. (a) How foolish it is to think of adding to it. The sacrifice is offered 66 once for all." When you can add volume to the ocean, brightness to the sun, fragrance to the rose, or a cubit to your own stature, then think to add to the power and efficacy of the Saviour's work. (b) How wrong to neglect and underrate it. As those do who trust in themselves that they are righteous, and think to purchase heaven by gallant deeds and human goodness. (c) How blessed to believe in it, as millions have done, and found it all-sufficient to save and satisfy. (d) What a privilege to publish it. "It is finished "—"It

is finished."

"Fain would I sound it out so loud, That all the earth should hear." WALTER J. MAYERS.

BRISTOL.

ONCE again we find Jesus using words of Scripture, as His dying

language. (Ps. xxxi. 5.) This ought to make the book of Psalms

doubly dear to us. These words are like a whisper into God's ear following a shout into man's.

How calm was Jesus in death, how confident. "It is finished," is fitly followed by, "Father, into Thy hands," &c. How appropriate to Christ's last moments the words: "Oh death where is thy sting?" Let us note

I.—THE LAST NAME ON CHRIST'S LIPS. "Father." He ended as He began His work.-"Wist ye not," &c. (a) How dear throughout His life the Father had been to Him. He had spoken often of His Father's 66 house "work"

"hands"-" face." (b) And

He is still sure of the Father's love. He holds to it that He is the Son of God. Life's illusions generally pass away at death. It was no illusion that God was the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ's death did not forfeit the Father's love, but the more fully expressed it. (c) He is conscious also of the Father's presence. In death as in life. How familiar are His tones-how simple-how earnest. Dying was not hard to Him. This torch lit up the dark valley for Him as it will also for us. His death was happyglorious triumphant.

II. THE LAST THOUGHT OF

CHRIST'S HEART. "Into Thy hands," &c. To Him God was a Person. The Living God-work

ing-with power to guard, and help, and bless. These words were not breathed into empty air. The attitude of Jesus not that of a sinner-or a mere human creature. He speaks like an equal. Many thoughts suggested to us here. The Father's hands uphold the living and await the dyinghow soft they are-how strong. "Jesus was now passing out of the hands of men into the hands of His Father." His language is not that of disappointment, but of love, and satisfaction, and hope. So may ours be when we come to die.

III. THE LAST ACT OF CHRIST'S WILL. He deposited His spirit in the Father's hands. The word "commend," does not signify "recommend," but rather "to place as a deposit." Jesus left His precious treasure, as it were, in the Father's care. "He had the right as well as the will" to thus offer Himself without spot to God. This being so, may we not justly remark that (a) He died consciously, (b) willingly, not of necessity, (c) expectantly of His resurrection, (d) as no other ever died. His death as much a miracle as His birth. "He dis

missed His spirit." He now actually made the atonement, by forfeiting His life. So ends this wonderful life-as wonderful at its close as at its opening. As we

linger at the Cross what lessons we may gather. Let us treasure all its teachings. (a) Let our chief anxiety be for our soul. (b) Let us learn that only God can properly care for it-to save and keep it. (c) As Jesus approached the Father, so let us come to Jesus. (d) The act of Christ may be turned by us into prayer. It was by Stephen (Acts vii. 59), and Peter surely had these words in mind when he wrote (1 Peter iv. 19). (e) Christ's dying words

may become our living words. If the Divine care be not sought by us we must fail and fall. (ƒ) If we believe in another life we shall be ready and willing to die. For those who seriously think of the future will prepare for it by accepting the great salvation whose foundation was laid by Christ, when "He died for our sins according to the Scriptures." WALTER J. MAYERS.

BRISTOL