Henry Law, "Family Prayers")

"It is finished!" John 19:30

Holy Father,
The heavens, the earth, and all that are therein, proclaim Your wondrous goodness. But Your love shines forth in surpassing luster—at Calvary's stupendous scene! At the cross we see Your heavenly grace removing the tremendous load of our iniquities from us—and heaping them all on Your beloved Son! We see Him standing as a transgressor in our place. We see Him, who knew no sin—made sin for us. We see Him, the all-holy One—accounted as a curse! We see Your justice leading the spotless Lamb to the slaughter—and rigorously demanding the full payment for all our sin-debt!

The avenging sword enters into His very heart!

The stream of sin-atoning blood flows!

Full recompense is meted out!

Divine Justice can ask no more.

Charges against us are all obliterated.

The debt-book is cancelled. If our sins are searched for, they cannot now be found!

The spotless Lamb is devoted to all anguish—that we may be inheritors of all joy.

He is cast off from You—that we may be brought near to You.

He is treated as Your enemy—that we may be welcomed as Your friends.

He is deserted by You—that we may be received to Your everlasting favor.

He is surrendered to hell's worst—that we may attain heaven's best.

He is stripped—that we may be clothed.

He is wounded—that we may be healed.

He thirsts—that we may drink of the water of life.

He is in darkness—that we may rejoice in the glories of eternal day.

He weeps—that all tears may be forever wiped from our eyes.

He groans—that we may sing an endless song.

He endures all pain—that we may rejoice in unfading health.

He wears a crown of thorns—that we may receive a crown of glory.

He bows His head in death—that we may lift up our head in heaven.

He bears earth's reproach—that we may receive heaven's welcome.

He is tormented—that we may be comforted.

He is made all shame—that we may inherit all glory.

His eyes are dark in death—that our eyes may gaze on unclouded brightness.

He dies—that we may escape the second death, and live forevermore.

O gracious Father, thus You spare not Your only begotten Son—that You may spare us! All our sins are cast behind Your back—all are buried in the ocean of reconciling blood!

We can only fall low and cry, "We adore You for the gift of Your Son as our substitute; for the death of Your Son as our ransom!"

Blessed Jesus, we have been standing beneath Your cross. The sight constrains us to the deepest humility. Our vile iniquity—is the cause of Your shame! We cannot fathom the sins which plunged You into such depths of unutterable woe! We cannot estimate the burden of wrath which thus crushed You. We cannot deny that the sins which stain us are evils of infinite malignity, since nothing but Your blood could wash away their guilty stains! As transgressors, we abhor ourselves before You.

While we humbly gaze—may we anxiously ponder, "Why, blessed Jesus—why did You thus die?" May His precious answer sound through every part of our hearts and souls,
"I die—that you may not die.
I lay down My life—to purchase your life.
I present Myself as a sin-offering to—expiate all your sins.
My blood thus streams—to wash out all your guilt.
The fountain is thus opened in My side—to cleanse you from all impurity. I thus endure your curse. I thus pay your debt. I thus rescue you from all condemnation. I thus satisfy divine justice for you!"