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 upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth." (xix. 29.) This Jesus received, and immediately said, IT IS FINISHED! The vinegar when mingled with hyssop, was received, because vinegar, being sour wine, signifies truth deprived of its nutritious sweetness, and somewhat injured by perversion; but when mingled with hyssop, which denotes external truth as a medium of purification, it was received, to instruct us that what is false among well-disposed men, which because it arises from ignorance of, and not from opposition to, the truth, is, in mercy, accepted by the Lord. Thus, in respect to a full and perfect redemption of all—It is finished!

Again, Matthew and Mark, treating of the Lord's grievous temptations, in which the Divine love appears absent, though fully present, make the Lord to say, "My God, my God! why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. xxvii. 46; Mark xv. 34.) Luke, who treats of a perfect resignation under trials and temptations, says, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,—Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit!" (xxiii. 34, 46) while John, who treats of the completion of all things, and of the perfectibility of redemption's glorious work, says—IT IS FINISHED! O how full of love and mercy are these three words!

The Lord, speaking of his faithful disciples, says, "For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." (John xvii. 19.) Yes, "with His stripes we are healed!" (Isa. liii. 5; 1 Pet. ii. 24.) By His temptations and sufferings, even to the passion of the cross, He fully glorified and made Divine the Humanity assumed, and thus rendered it fully subservient to the accomplishment of all the pur-