He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.

Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him.

I came alone to my Calvary,

And the load I bore was too great for me;

The stones were sharp and pierced my feet,

And my temples throbbed with the withering heat.

But my heart was faint with the toil that day,

So I sat down to think of an easy way;

Loomed sharply before me that tortuous trail—

No use to try—I would only fail.

I turned back in sorrow, clothed with defeat,

For my load was too heavy; I would retreat

To easier highways, with scenery more fair—

Yet a moment I lingered watching there.

As I held my gaze on that flinty side,

A man came up to be crucified;

He toiled all the way of that painful road,

And the cross that he bore far surpassed my load:

His brow with thorns was pierced and torn;

His face had a look of pain and was worn;

He stopped for a moment and looked on me—

And I followed in rapture to Calvary!

“MY CALVARY” BY MATTHEW BILLER

Haunt the place called Calvary.

His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.—He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

This is your hour, and the power of darkness.—Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.

The Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.—He cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.

All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.—In my name shall they cast out devils.

The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.

Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins.—That we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness.—He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.—Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, . . . that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations.—He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, . . . to give repentance.—Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.—Your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

He smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed.

All our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ.

One of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; . . . the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all . . . For the transgression of my people was he stricken . . . It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief.

Jesus our Lord . . . was delivered for our offences.—Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.—Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.

I am the Lord that healeth thee.

O Lord , thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

He is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed.

He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.

Thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.—The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Christ . . . loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.—To her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.—Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.—Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.