propHiatory efficacy, was the willingness of the Sufferer who offered himself. God is not pleased with pain 1rnd death. What be ie plenscd with is the devotion, fidelity, nnd love tbnt endure pain and death in the fulfilment of an unselfish and noble mission. II. THE SACRIFICE OF CumsT WAS Ol'FEBED TO Goo. Christ was not simply a Mnrtyr to truth, nor only a Suffcrrr in the cause of humanity. The cup that he drnnk was given to him by bis Father. His persistence through mortal agony was in submission to the will of God. Gethsemane interprets Calvary. It reveals an essential element of the sacrifice of Christ that has been too much neglected in our theologies-the obediei,cc, of Christ. St. Paul saw this when he said that Christ became "obedient unto death." Thus the cross was an altar and the crucifix.ion an offering to God. IIL T1rn SACRIFICE OF CHRIST WAS WELL-PLEASmG TO Goo. ln primite language it it is said, tbat when the smoke of Noah's sacrifice went up to heaven "God smelled a sweet savour"-literally, "a savour of satisfaction," i.e. it was acceptable to God. So Christ's sacrifice is described as "•an odour of a sweet smell." Such an act of fidelity to God and love to man could not but be pleasing to God. 'I'hus the sacrifice become,; a propitiation; it becomes the means through which God looks favourably on those for whom it is offered. IV. THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST WAS MADE ON OUR BEHALF. "For us." Men had often offered sacrifices for themselves-to ex.press their own devotion and to expiate their own sins. It is customary now for people to talk of makiog a present sacrifice in order to secure a future adV'llntage. But Christ's sacrifice was not for his own interests. It was the Shepherd giving bis life for the sheep, the Friend laying down his life for his friends. His was the pain, ours is the gain ; bis the cross of death, ours the crown of life. V. THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST WAS OCCASIONED BY ms LOVE TO us. "Christ also loved you." 'l'here was no necessity that Christ should die. Ordinary duty would not have required the sacrifice, for, though fidelity and obedience entered into it, these elements were consequent on the free undertaking of a work of love by Christ. Chri~t as a man was possessed of a great love of his kind tbnt constrained him to die for the world ; Christ as the Son of God and "the very Image of his substance" (Heb. i. 3) died because he was full of the love of the Father for his Jost children. VI. 'l'HE SAOBIFICE OF CHRIST SHOULD LEAD us TO WALK m LOVE. 1. In return for his love. Love should inspire love. If it does we shall show our love to Christ by loving our brethren. 2. In breathing his Spirit. Christianity is not merely nppro- priating the fruits of the work of Christ. It is followin~ in his footsteps. Christians nre called to be imitators of God, especially as he is manifested in Christ. An imito.tinn of God must therefore consist chiefly in nn exercise of love like tho.t of Christ. llis love to us led him to submit to crucifix.ion. He asks us simply to walk in Jove.- W. F. A. Ver. 14.-.Awake/ I. A DESCRIPTION. A particular kind of man is hero addressed -" thou that sleepest;" "the dead." 1. The mnn is aslrep. His sleep is spiritual indifference. Whether or no he bas an abstract belief in religion is not of the slightest moment. He mo.y be an a.theist or he may be orthodox of the orthodox. So long as he is sleeping it matters little what he might have been doing hnd be been awake. 'l'he sleeper may have his eyes open to secular interests; he may have e. quick intellect in epcculation or a vigorous energy in business. Yet angels who see that he is uncon- Hcious of the greatest realities must regard him a.s o. dreamer or at best as o. restles~ sleep-walker. 2. This sleep is a sign of death. It is more than sleep. It is unnatural and impossible to a soul in full energy. Spiritual perceptions must have been dullc,l nn<l spiritual powers paralyzed to admit of this blindness and stupor in regar<l to Diviuc things. ll. A 0ALL. Awake! Up! Arise) A loud voice disturbs the sleeper. 1. Gu,l calls, sometimes (1) in providence, rousing the careless soul by the shock of sumc sudden change; and often (2) in the gospel, for it_ is the duty of the prench~r to speak in trumpet-notes, uot merely to teach the nttent1 vo .but also to rouse the listless. '.l, It is impo1'tant to respond to this call; for sleep is (1) a sinful neglect of duty; (~) a foolish loss of blessings-he who sleeps till the full day never sees tho glory of the stm- rise; and (3) n dangerous condition-the longer n man sleeps the mNe difficult will it 252 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [oa. v. 1-33,
be to awake, and meanwhile death and judgment may be upon him. 3. It is possible to atM-~Y. The i;piritual i;leep is partly ,oluntary and semi-conscious. As a man rometimes knows that he is dreaming so he may be made aware that he is spiritually asleep and may rouse himself if he will. There is rousing power, too, in the Divine ,-,,ice. It vexes a r:1an to have his rest disturbed, but as one who wakes the sleeper when his house is on fire it comes for his deliverance and he will do well to bestir hi:nself. III. A PROMISE.. "Christ shall shine upon thee." There is something to wake up for. Christ is the Light of the world. His people are now "light in the Lord." He hrings to the waking soul truth, purity, and joy. When the storm rages and the dark night lingers, and to wake is only to take up a.,crain the burden of sorrow and grope in the hopeless gloom, a man has some excuse for sleeping. Despair may sleep, But the Christian finds a bright morning responding to his opening eyes. We are not to wake only to kindle a poor light for ourselves. We are rewarded for waking by the cheering brightness of Christ. We must rouse ourselves, however, to enjoy it. The people that sit in darkness see the great light only when they awake and arise from the dead.-W. F. A.