August 21

Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God.—John 1:35, 36.

He means, of course, singly and preëminently "The Lamb," for the disciples also are called lambs. Behold I send you as lambs in the midst of wolves. They too are called light: Ye are the light of the world: but in a different sense. He of whom it is said, That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world: So too the Lamb, singly and preëminently, alone without spot and without sin: not, whose spots have been washed away; but in whom never was spot. For that John should say of the Lord, Behold a Lamb of God; was John himself not a lamb? was he not a holy man? was he not the friend of the Bridegroom? Therefore of him singly saith John, This is the Lamb of God; because singly by this Lamb's blood alone could men be redeemed.

My brethren, if we acknowledge the price with which we were redeemed to be the blood of the Lamb, what are they that celebrate to-day a festivity of the blood of I know not what woman, and how ungrateful are they! A golden ear-ring, say they, was torn from the woman's ear, and the blood ran, and the gold was placed in a pair of scales, and the blood outweighed by much. If a woman's blood was of such weight as to turn the scale when weighed against gold, how weighty must be the blood of the Lamb, by whom the world was made, to turn the scale when weighed against the world! And truly that spirit, whoever he was, that he might depress the weight, was propitiated with blood. The unclean spirits knew that Jesus Christ was coming, they had heard it from angels, they had heard it out of the prophets, and they looked for his coming. For if they did not look for it, wherefore did they cry, What have we to do with thee? Art thou come before the time to destroy us! We know who thou art, the Holy One of God. They knew that he was coming, but they did not know the time. But what have you heard in the Psalm concerning Jerusalem? For thy servants have taken pleasure in her stones, and will pity the dust thereof. Thou shalt arise, saith he, and have pity upon Zion, for the time is come that thou have pity upon her. When the time was come for God to have pity, then came the Lamb. What kind of Lamb, whom wolves fear! What kind of Lamb is that, who when slain slew a lion! For the devil is called a lion going about and roaring, seeking whom he may devour. By the blood of the Lamb the lion was overcome. Such are the spectacles of the Christians. And what is more, they yonder, with the eyes of flesh, see vanity; we, with the eyes of the heart, truth. Think not, brethren, that the Lord our God hath dismissed us without spectacles; for if there are no spectacles, wherefore are ye come together to-day? Lo, what we said, ye saw, and cried out. Ye would not have cried out unless ye had seen. This is a mighty spectacle to behold throughout the whole world:—the lion overcome by the blood of the Lamb; the members of Christ plucked from the teeth of lions, and joined to the body of Christ.

"The types and figures are fulfill'd; Exacted is the legal pain; The precious promises are seal'd; The spotless Lamb of God is slain.

"Saved from the legal curse I am, My Saviour hangs on yonder tree; See there the meek, expiring Lamb! 'Tis finish'd! He expires for me.

"Death, hell, and sin, are now subdued; All grace is now to sinners given; And lo! I plead th' atoning blood, And in thy right I claim thy heaven."