Read Matthew 27:45-53.

Through no mention is made in the above passage of the Lord Jesus having put Himself in our place, or of His dying for our sins, yet nothing could possibly account for His being divinely forsaken but the doctrine of atonement. At His baptism a voice was heard from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Then on the mount of transfiguration, when He was about to start for Jerusalem for the last time, the same voice was heard from the excellent glory, saying again, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," adding, "hear ye Him." Speaking to His enemies of the Father, He could say, "I do always those things that please Him." He was truly the obedient One,-"obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Then, surely, we may boldly affirm that nothing can explain the meaning of that bitter and solemn utterance, "Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani ?" but the awful, yet blessed, fact that He had taken the place of us guilty, undone sinners-that He was in the place of sin-bearing,-that He was enduring the judgment due to us-that He who knew no sin was being made sin for us,-the '' darkness over all the land from the sixth hour unto the ninth hour" being, as we may suppose, an outward sign of what that blessed One was passing through for us-drinking the dark and bitter cup to the dregs, that we might drink the cup of salvation. In short, He was forsaken during those long hours that we might be owned forever. Oh, may the eyes of our hearts be fully opened, that we may have a deep and growing sense of His love in thus giving Himself for us, and may our lives be an expression of heart truly, fully, and forever won.

But in the above portion of holy writ, we can not only read the doctrine of atonement, but we can read its perfect, – its far-reaching efficacy. When the Lord Jesus had yielded up the Ghost, "the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom." The hand of God did this. If man had rent it, he would have done it from the bottom to the top ; but it being rent from the top to the bottom, showed that the power was from above. The rending of the veil of the temple was doubtless meant as a sign, not only that Judaism was at an end, but that grace had brought in something infinitely better- that the true veil was rent-that the way into the true holiest was open,-in other words, that sin was truly and fully atoned for, so that those who believe in Him who shed the blood of atonement, being, through that blood whiter than snow, may pass into the very presence of God without terror or danger. In view of this, the apostle could say, "Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in the full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." It may be remarked here that though the flesh of Jesus, is regarded as the veil, in the above scripture, yet it could not be meant that His flesh was the hindrance to our entering into the holiest, sin being that; but it was needful that His flesh be rent,-that He should be put to death in the flesh, that the hindrance might be removed, and we be brought to God, and be before Him in acceptance, according to all that He is. Thus the rending of His flesh in death was the rending of the veil. Love has broken every barrier down.

"The burning mount and the mystic veil,
With our terrors and guilt are gone;
Our conscience has peace that can never fail,
'Tis the Lamb on high on the throne."

But to say this truly another veil has to be rent. Though the veil is fully rent on the divine side, that is on God's part, yet there is another veil-a veil on man's side, mentioned by the apostle Paul as a veil on the heart. (2 Cor. 3:15.) Though he is speaking of Israel, yet there is a veil on the hearts of all. This barrier has to be broken down-this veil has to be rent-rent in twain from top to bottom, otherwise we cannot see the things which are freely given to us of God. It is when that veil is rent, and every shred of it gone, that we can from full and exulting hearts sing,-

" Sweetest rest and peace have filled us,
Sweeter praise than tongue can tell;
God is satisfied with Jesus,-
We are satisfied as well."

Happy when that blessed One, who is "precious" in the eyes of God, is precious in our eyes. This is true fellowship with God-the soul entering into His thoughts-seeing as He sees, according to our little finite measure. Oh, how sweet when it is so ! It is then that out of the heart, the mouth, and life will speak His praise.

But we have further proof of the sufficiency of the atoning death of the Lord Jesus. We read, "And the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened, and many of the bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." All this doubtless was intended as a witness that the power of death and the grave was broken through the cross, and that those who believed in Him who had thus died for them, might go on their way rejoicing, triumphantly saying, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory ? "

And soon the full and everlasting results of the cross will be introduced. Yes, He who was forsaken of His God, and who is now on His Father's throne, is coming again, when the saints who still sleep, will be changed from corruption to incorruption, and the living saints be changed from mortality to immortality, and the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory," be fully and joyously brought to pass. The precious ransom was paid on Calvary, and we are waiting in sure hope for the bright outcome. Love, then, to Him who has done all that love could do, must constrain us to be steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, being assured that our labor is not in vain in the Lord. R. H.