John: Hear, earth and heaven, with wonder hear

Hear, earth and heaven, with wonder hear.
That deepest note of grief unknown;
What means that strange mysterious prayer?
Can God desert His only Son?

Who heard I Iim speaking from the skies,
"I always am well-pleased in Thee,"
"My God, my God," the favourite cries.
"O why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

Didst Thou forget, Thou Man of Grief,
For whom Thou didst the death sustain?
Thy sore distress is our relief,
Thy loss is our eternal gain.

Didst Thou forget the kind design,
Which made Thee lay aside Thy crown?
That strange excess of love Divine,
Which brought the' incarnate Godhead down?

For whom didst Thou endure the cross?
For whom didst Thou consent to bleed?
Didst Thou not undertake our cause?
Didst Thou not suffer in our stead?

Twas not for sin which Thou hadst done,
Thy angry Father hid His face;
But on Thy innocence was shown
The vengeance due to Adam's race.

Man, guilty man, by God abhorr'd,
Deserved His utmost wrath to know,
Driven from the presence of the Lord
To regions of eternal woe.

But Thou our sins and curse didst take,
That we might bless'd and holy be;
And Thee Thy Father did forsake,
That He might ne'er abandon me.

Deserted at Thy greatest need,
Thou know'st to pity what I feel:
My God, my God, Thy face is hid;
I wander on in darkness still.

Gross darkness, such as may be felt,
Egyptian night my soul o'erspreads;
My heart within like wax doth melt,
And on Thy cross my nature bleeds.
The Words Spoken on tJic Cross.

I taste the bitter cup, and share
Thine agonies and grief unknown,
Till Thou the' accomplishment declare,
And tell my inmost soul, "Tis done!!
2278. ''Into Thy hands- 1 commend My spirit." — Luke xxiii. 41.

Tuic holy Jesus rests in hope,
And calm in death on God relies;
His parting spirit He gives up
Into His Father's hands, and dies.

Meek, patient Lamb, for us He gives
The life which none could take away,
And lays it down, and God receives
His soul into eternal day.

() might I thus my warfare end,
Meekly to God my soul resign,
Into my Father's hands commend!
O Jesus, let Thy death be mine!

I long with Thee to bow my head,
Offer'd upon Thy sacrifice;
With Thee to sink among the dead.
And in Thy life triumphant rise.
i 'Tis finish'd! The Messias dies.
Cut off for sins, but not His own:
Accomplished is the sacrifice,
The great redeeming work is dune.

'Tis finish'd! all the debt is paid;
Justice Divine is satisfied;
The grand and full atonement made;
God for a guilty world hath died.

The veil is rent in Christ alone;
The living way to heaven is seen;
The middle wall is broken down,
And all mankind may enter in.

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.

The reign of sin and death is o'er,
And all may live from sin set free;
Satan hath lost his mortal power;
Tis swallow'd up in victory.

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.

Accepted in the Well-beloved,
And clothed in. righteousness Divine,
I see the bar to heaven removed;
And all Thy merits, Lord, are mine.

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