CHRIST WONDERFUL IN HIMSELF. 205 and apostles, his wisdom and miracles while on earth, and voices from heaven, prove, as plainly as if it were written by a sunbeam on the sky, that he is God. man, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh. He is also He is man that he might sympathize with us in our sorrows, that he might be able to suffer and die for our sins, and that we might have free and ready access to him. O my soul, rejoice in Christ's humanity as well as his divinity, and claim relationship with him, for he is "a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." He is God-man in one person; hence a fit Mediator, a fit daysman between God and us, to lay his hand upon us both. He is wonderful in his humiliation. What a combination of lowliness and greatness appeared at his baptism! He was baptized by John, and to all appearance was his inferior, yet John gave testimony to his greatness : "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world;" and that testimony was ratified by heaven. The Holy Ghost visibly descended like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, "Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." His transfiguration furnishes similar evidence regarding his humility and greatness. He took with him to the mount, Peter, James, and John; and while there, two distinguished inhabitants of heaven descended and conversed with him about his decease. For a moment his humiliation was swallowed up in glory. His countenance was changed, his raiment was changed, and a voice was heard from heaven, "This is my beloved Son; hear him." Equally wonderful was the combination at his death. Like a man he suffered, he bled, he thirsted, he died; but creation spoke. The earth trembled, the rocks burst, the veil of the temple was rent, the graves were opened, and the orb of day closed his eye, and shrouded the world in darkness. He is wonderful in his exaltation. His resurrection 206 CHRIST WONDERFUL IN HIMSELF. from the dead was the first step. The earthquake, the terror of the Roman guard, the vision of angels, and the appearances of Christ during forty days, were all wonderful. And so was his ascension. Its time, its place, the nature in which he ascended, the witnesses and the heavenly attendants, were all wonderful. So is his glory in heaven at God's right hand, his boundless felicity, and unlimited power. And what a day of wonders must that be, when he, as Judge of all, shall fix the eternal destiny of every human being! MAY 5. Christ wonderful to Sinners. "His name shall be called Wonderful."-Isa. ix. 6. He is wonderful in his love to sinners. He always loved us. "I have loved thee with an everlasting love." Long before the creation of our world, when the morning-stars sang together-long before the sad defection in paradise— Jesus loved us; and this love is the fountainhead of all the streams of grace, and the mainspring of all our happiness. He loves us freely. We are unworthy objects of love, enemies, rebels. We have nothing to call forth his love, and no price we can pay, yet he loved us. His love is unspeakably great. Great was the love of David and Jonathan, but it was only a star, while Christ's is a sun; it was only a drop, while Christ's is an ocean; it was confined to one individual, but the arms of Christ's love would embrace the whole human race. He loves perseveringly. For months and years he pleads with obstinate sinners, "How shall I give thee up?" He pleads "by his word, by his providence, and by the example of others. O my soul, shall he plead in vain with thee? He is wonderful in his atonement. It was necessary CHRIST WONDERFUL TO SINNERS. 207 because of the holiness and justice of God, and the sin and guilt of man. Without it, there could be no remission and no salvation. It was voluntary. Freely did Christ undertake for us, when we could do nothing for ourselves. When justice demanded our death, he took our place. It was amply sufficient, law-magnifying, and justice-satisfying. It is like the sun, incessantly pouring forth a flood of light, and yet shining with undiminished splendour; for its virtue is never-failing, and neither ages nor numbers can exhaust it. It is vastly useful. It opens to sinners the way of life, it brings them into this way, and it keeps them in it till they reach their Father's house. O my soul, wilt thou not hide under the covering of this atoning blood, and then, though the angel of death pass through the land, he will not hurt thee? He is wonderful in his blessings. He grants to all his followers pardon, full, free, and irrevocable. All manner of sin is forgiven without remuneration and without recal. He grants peace with God, peace of conscience, and peace with all men; yea, into the believer's heart his peace flows like a river. He grants the Holy Spirit to give more light, to comfort the sorrowing heart, and to sanctify the soul and fit it for heaven. And he grants heaven at last, a haven of rest, a goodly home, a wealthy place, where all evil is absent, all good present, and where this good shall last for ever. O my soul, what dost thou think of the everlasting kingdom, the incorruptible inheritance, and the unfading crown? Believers in every age have viewed these things with rapture, and shall they not fire thy ambition and brighten thy hopes? 208 CHRIST THE COUNSELLOR. MAY 6. Christ the Counsellor. "His name shall be called Counsellor."-Isa. ix. 6. CONTEMPLATE his qualifications to give counsel-the counsel he reveals-and the way he imparts it. His qualifications.-These are of the highest order. He is without sin, while counsellors among men are very liable to err. Even wise counsel, such as Ahithophel's, may be turned into foolishness. But Christ counsels wisely and infallibly, and neither men nor devils can thwart it. Moreover, he knows the mind of God, and what is well-pleasing to him, while the concentrated wisdom of all the wise comes far short of this. He is the Word, and God speaks by him, and in him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He knows what man needs. The thoughts of every heart are open to his eye, and the dark schemes of hell and destruction are under his cognizance; hence he can counsel suitably and certainly. Besides, he is most anxious to give counsel to men. Whoever lacks wisdom, may get it from him, speedily, infallibly, and without charge. O my soul, whenever thou art in difficulty, go and tell Jesus, and he will come to thy rescue! The counsel he reveals. He makes known the reality of his mediation. He is God and man in one person, and hence he has a common interest in the holy Jehovah and sinful men. As God he knows all, and as man he readily teaches all we need to know. As man he suffers, while as God his sufferings are of infinite value. As God he subdues our enemies, while as man he prevents us from being overwhelmed with his glory. He makes known. how divine justice and mercy are reconciled. His sufferings and death satisfy the former, and his salvation of an CHRIST THE COUNSELLOR. 209 innumerable multitude glorifies the latter. Reader, how cheering to the soul is this truth! "I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done." He makes known the everlasting gospel, which brings us salvation, and the preaching of which shall yet renovate the world. This gospel is the door of mercy, the door of hope, and the door of heaven. O my soul, wilt thou not believe it and live? The way he imparts it.-He imparts it by his word. There we get all the information we need about sin and salvation, life and death, earth and heaven, while afflictions. and adverse providences lead us to the word. He imparts it by his Holy Spirit. In answer to prayer, the Spirit discovers to us the saving truth of the gospel, and changes our hearts from the love of sin to the love of holiness. Come, Holy Spirit, and kindle a fire of love in my soul that shall burn for ever! He imparts it by the ministry of the gospel. "Faith cometh by hearing." "It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." Jesus shall be my counsellor, that my faith. may rest not in the wisdom of men, but in the wisdom of God. MAY 7. The Mighty God. "His name shall be called The mighty God."-Isa. ix. 6. That Christ is God, appears from the divine names given to him, divine perfections ascribed to him, divine works performed by him, and divine honours rendered to him in heaven and on earth. We have only to glance at one or two passages in which he is called God, in order to be convinced that he is God. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God." It is not said that he |