teach us by His doctrine, to animate us by His example, to redeem us by His Blood, and to give us life by His death. This is the mighty gift of which our LORD Himself says, "That GOD so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten SoN, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." And having many ways of doing this, our LORD chose this the most costly for Him, but most profitable for us, not regarding His own labour, but our advancement, who were His enemies and alienated from Him.

The next thought connected with this mystery, is its admirable fittingness. It was fitting that as sin entered into the world by man, by Man should the remedy enter also; and as, by the pride of one man, who

being man sought to be GOD, we were lost, so, by the humility of one other Man, who being the true GOD, condescended to become true man, we have been restored.

And what could better pay our debts than the blood of the Son of GOD? And what could better ennoble human nature than GOD becoming man? And who could better transact our affairs than the very SON of GOD? And who better plead on our part with God than the High Priest of the Eternal FATHER? Who could better mediate between GOD and man, than He Who was both GOD and Man; as GOD and Judge, preserving the interests of justice; as man and party, procuring mercy for men? As man, He took upon Him our debts, making Himself liable and the principal debtor,

and with the Divine treasure He paid to GOD-making use of the title of man to owe and of GOD to pay. Now fitter means than this could not have been found, for as S. Leo says, " Had He not been the true God, He could not have afforded the remedy; and had He not been true man, He could not have given the example: as true GOD, He is Redeemer; as true man, He is our Master and Teacher."

How could any better way be taken to show us the greatness of GOD'S goodness and mercy, and at the same time the severity of His justice, when it took so much to punish sin and to pardon the sinner? How could anything else so clearly demonstrate the excellency of our souls, the power of grace, the greatness of glory, the beauty of virtue, the foulness of

sin, and the dignity of man redeemed at such a price? for the value of each of these things shows itself as measured by the excellence of the price of JESUS CHRIST our REDEEMER.

Again, to cure the many and great wounds of our souls, what medicine could be as efficacious, and what better example could be afforded, to cheer us or to shame us into our duty, than that of Him Who is God and man? What could better cure the pride of man than the humility of GOD? what more completely conquer our avarice than His poverty, Who being rich for our sakes became poor? What better repress our anger than the example of the patience of GOD made man? What more fully confound our disobedience than the obedience of CHRIST unto death? What better shame the wrongs of the

wantonness of our flesh than the pains and austerities inflicted on His? Or how better overcome our lovelessness than by His love, our thanklessness than by His benefits, our negligence than by His Providence, our want of faith and trust than by such pledges of love, such merits of the Redeemer?

The FIRST effect of the precious death of our holy LORD is our being freed from sin thereby, and this takes place in three ways. 1. We are by It moved to that love of GOD which is so powerful as to destroy sin within us,