220 THE DEATH OF THE CROSS. required food and raiment, and was subject to hunger, thirst, and weariness like other men. He was also capable of suffering, and did suffer in his body and his soul. He became man that he might be a proper substitute for men, and that all men might claim him as a brother and kinsman Redeemer. He became man that heaven and earth might be united, that the infinite might be brought near the finite, and that all men might have a highway to heaven. His humiliation." He humbled himself." His humiliation was entirely voluntary. It was true from eternity, and manifest in time, that "he rejoiced in the habitable part of his earth; and his delights were with the sons of men." Instead of being born of a mighty princess, and in a gorgeous palace, he was born of a mean woman, in a stable, and cradled in a manger. Though the Lord and lawgiver of heaven and earth, he became subject to his own law, and fulfilled it in the room of transgressors. Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor-so poor that he had no home of his own, but had to be indebted to others for a lodging. He rode on a borrowed ass, kept the passover in a borrowed room, and slept in a borrowed grave. The great depths of it." He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." His obedience was perfect. Man had broken the law as a covenant, and incurred its dreadful penalty, and man's substitute must obey it all, and bear its curse. His obedience was practical; hence, "he learned obedience by the things which he suffered," and went through every step which law and justice could demand. He obeyed unto death. That the Lord of glory should become man is amazing condescension; but that he should die, may well astonish heaven and earth. We admire the servant who risks his life, that he may obey the commands of his master; but what shall we say of him who became a servant, and willingly died, not only to do the will of his Father, but to THE DEATH OF THE CROSS. 221 save the guilty and the rebellious from death? He died by crucifixion. The servant who loses his life in serving his master, gains credit for his faithfulness, and honour for his devotedness; but what shall we say of him whose death on the cross was ignominious, lingering, painful, and accursed? Truly, this was the death of deaths, the lowest depth of humiliation the world ever saw. "Not only as a man appears, But stoops a servant low; Submits to death, nay, bears the cross, In all its shame and woe." MAY 14. The Lost Found. "It was meet that we should make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."—Luke, xv. 32. THINK of the sad condition of the unconverted, "dead, lost" -the happy change experienced, "alive, found"-and the joy produced by it. The sad condition of the unconverted, "dead, lost." They are sinners, chargeable with original and actual guilt, and deeply involved in the crucifixion of Christ. Oh to see our sins in the glass of his sufferings, and to feel that we have actually pierced his hands and his feet! They are spiritually dead, insensible to their sin and danger, and have no breathings after Christ and holiness, and no pantings after heaven and immortality. Sin has bound them with its iron fetters, and, alas! they have no wish to be free, neither are they aware of their jeopardy. They are lost. They are under a dreadful sentence of condemnation, and that sentence may be executed any moment. They are prisoners ready to be executed, yet they are prisoners of hope. They are exposed to wrath, curse, and hell, yet they may be plucked as brands from the burning. The happy change experienced.-"Alive, found." In its nature it is spiritual, perceptible, and eternal. I may have religious parents, I may have been religiously educated, I may be a member of the church, I may have a sober walk; yet I need a main-spring to make these advantages a blessing. I must be born again, I must become alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ; and unless I am so alive, I want the keystone in the arch of religious experience. Its instrumentality is the word of God. "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." Its grand agent is the Holy Spirit. In answer to prayer, and along with the word, he breathes upon the slain, and they live. He convinces of sin; he enlightens the understanding; he turns the will, and makes it prefer good to evil; and he disposes and persuades to embrace Christ as he is presented to all in the gospel. The joy produced by it."It was meet that we should make merry and be glad." There is joy in heaven. God the Father rejoices over a prodigal's return. Jesus welcomes him to his bosom, to his church, and to his Father's house. The holy angels exult over his conversion and the prospect of his society through eternity, and the spirits of the just made perfect attune their golden harps afresh, and sing a louder song, because a soul is saved from death, and destined to an endless life of bliss. There is joy on earth. The church is glad. When she hath found one that was lost, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found that which was lost. The believer himself is glad. "He went on his way rejoicing." And he says to all his friends, "Come, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul." CONVERSION OF ZACCHEUS. 223 MAY 15. Conversion of Zaccheus. "Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully."Luke, xix. 5, 6. THE person addressed-the call of Christ to him—and his compliance with that call, demand our attention. The person addressed was Zaccheus. He was a sinner as I am, chargeable with innumerable transgressions, exposed to great and imminent danger, and in immediate need of salvation. Perhaps he did not feel his need, and thought he could save himself, but his need was all the greater on this account. He was a noted sinner. He was chief among the publicans; and as the Roman taxes were generally farmed out, those noted for rapacity and injustice followed the occupation of tax-gatherers. He went to see Jesus from a most unworthy motive. Mere curiosity, without any desire for spiritual good, led him to the sycamore tree. Alas! how many come to divine ordinances from motives as bad; yet, being in the way, the Lord meets them and blesses them. The call of Christ to him.-It was particular. Jesus was passing by; multitudes were following him; the little man on the tree arrests his attention; he named him, for he knew all men, and called him down. Reader, "the Master hath come, and calleth for thee." It was urgent. "Make haste." No time was to be lost. His soul was precious, and this was the last call he might enjoy. When Jesus can do no more, he weeps over impenitent sinners. It was authoritative. "This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." To resist such authority is to peril the soul. It was humbling. "Come down." The sinner must come down from his high notions and self-righteous imaginations, and 224 CONVERSION OF ZACCHEUS. feel that his foundation is the dust. It required selfdenial. "To-day I must abide at thy house." Jesus, who had no home of his own, invites himself that day to the home of Zaccheus ; and thus all Christians must be ready to make sacrifices for Christ. Reader, how His compliance with that call.-He obeyed the call instantly. "He made haste." He offered no objections, he asked no curious questions, he pled not for delay, but did as he was bid. "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" He received Christ into his heart. His whole conduct shews that his heart was touched. often and how long has Christ been knocking at thy heart? hast thou admitted him yet? He received him into his house, and shewed him all the kindness he could, not in words merely, but in substantial acts. He "received him joyfully." No wonder, for this was the turning-point in his history, the happiest moment of his life. My reader, hast thou made a fair start for heaven? If so, the angels will rejoice, and so wilt thou. MAY 16. Present Salbation. "This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham."-Luke, xix. 9. HERE we have the great blessing-the time of it—and the reason of it. The great blessing. "Salvation is come to this house." Zaccheus was a sinner Salvation brings pardon of sin. a great sinner, a lost sinner-yet Jesus forgives him, forgives him freely, forgives him fully, and forgives him. irrevocably. A few minutes before, he was unconverted, and all his sins were standing against him; but now he is freely forgiven, and may exult in the prospect of heaven's |