that of a Saviour and Lord confefs'd to die Ignominioufly, in the quality of the vileft Slave, and moft deteftable Malefactor. And indeed, that a Life of so much Power should end in fo much feeming Weakness and Desertion: That He, to whom Angels were faid to pay Homage, and whofe Commiffion God himself had publifhed in Thunder: He, who had check'd Diseases with a Word, and forced Death to deliver back his Prey, fhould be bound, and fcourged, and crucified himself; might well be thought a most amazing Turn, and an Eclipfe upon the Glory of his former Miracles. It had certainly been fo, fuppofing those Indignities and Sufferings to be a constraint upon him. But now that Difficulty vanishes. Thefe Warnings prove his Power the fame ftill; That his Enemies had no advantage over him, but by his own permiffion; That he diftinctly knew and chofe all this. So afferting at once his Power, and his Love, in making good that Declaration to the Jews, No man taketh my life.

from me, but Ilay it down of my felf. I have John x. 18. power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.

2. The Scandal of the Crofs is hereby removed, as these things are declared to have been exactly agreeable to the ancient and most authentick Prophecies concerning the Meffias. Hence our Lord fo often appeals thither. So here, all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the fon of man shall be accomplished. And, the fon of man goeth as it is written of him. And a world more to the fame purpofe. The frequency whereof, and the mighty Stress laid upon them, in this prefent Cafe particularly, make it not amifs to try, if I can in few Words explain, how the Authority of Prophecies comes to be fo very venerable, upon this account.

Ver. 31.
Matt. xxvi.

24.

In order hereunto let it be remember'd, that the Redemption of Mankind was an Act of God's Free Grace. The whole Defign, and Contrivance of it

was entirely His. The Sacrifice of his Son, though not actually offer'd till thefe laft Days, was yet available for former Ages. To Them he therefore gave fuch profpects of it, as he faw fit and fufficient for Their Circumftances. Thefe Difcoveries had a double use. They laid the Foundations of Faith in Chrift to come: and when accomplish'd, they were the Signatures and Diftinctions of Chrift already come. The accomplishments of things thus foretold was therefore neceffary, because God had pledg'd his Truth for them, and had fufpended Salvation upon the Belief in Him as the Meffiab, whom fuch Events fhould mark out to them. But then that neceffity depended on another, which was the Original Scheme of this wonderful Work, formed in the Divine Mind. As thefe things came to pass then, because they had been thus foretold; fo were they likewife thus foretold, because the wife purpofe of God had determin'd, that they fhould thus come to pass.

The whole then refts at laft in the immutable Counfel of God alone. And if fo, what ground is left for taking offence at the Crofs of Chrift? Hence, probably, our Saviour enlarges upon all the infamous Circumitances of his Paffion, that, how unaccountable foever in themselves, or how unworthy of Him, we might judge them; yet One above, whofe Thoughts are not as our Thoughts, and whofe Hands cannot be tied up, or prefcribed to, might be fhewn to have other Notions of them, and that every one of thefe Indignities were of Service to his Defign.

Since then he did, for our fakes, and of his own mere Goodness, engage in a Defign fo beneficial, fhall We prefume to call him to account, and not acquiefce in his Methods of effecting it? We, forfooth, very pertly take upon us, to fet up Standards of Juftice, and Mercy, and Honour and pretend to bring our Maker to the Rules and Ideas, thus crudely formed,

of

Rom. ix. 33.

of Prudence, and Equity, and a due Decorum. Vain Men! We attempt we know not what. The Mystery of Man redeemed is a depth too vaft for poor Mortals to fathom. But, could we comprehend the Reasons of the divine Mind; fuch Beauty and Gracefulness would fhine forth in every part, as must needs caft us into St. Paul's Rapture, Othe depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Goodness of God! As it is: While we are able to fee fo little, and that little fo imperfectly; it will much better become the Condition of Creatures, especially of ranfomed Sinners, thankfully to receive the Mercy, and humbly to adore the Wisdom of God; than, by the moft detestably impious, nay moft abfurd and ignorant prefumption, to arraign the Proceedings of a Being confeffedly infinite in all Perfections; and undertake to amend the measures, fixed by him before the World was. So little reafon have we to blufh at, fo much to glory in, the Crofs of Christ.

3. Thefe Warnings contributed greatly to removing the fcandal of that Crofs, by foretelling at the fame time our Lord's Refurrection. The Jews flatter'd themselves with a Meffiah, who fhould make his entrance among them in Pomp and Magnificence, full of Spoils and Conquefts. Our Jefus was a victorious Meliah: Not fuch indeed as they expected, but wherein he differed, his Atchievements and Glories were fingular and more confpicuous. For never was there fuch a defeat given, never thought of before, as when Death was overcome by dying, difarmed by one that feem'd its Prey and Prifoner, and all the Powers of Hell fhaken and fubdued by their own, as they thought profperous, Stratagems. They, who attend to this impartially, muft needs allow, and may in fome degree difcern, that the All-wife God confulted the Honour of his Son, by a new, 'tis acknowledged, but certainly a moft fuccefsful Method. For, had he been

lefs

less a Suffering, he had also in Proportion been a less glorious and triumphant, Saviour.

Laftly, Thefe things were fignified to the Difciples, and not the common Crowd of Followers, because in Their Hands was depofited the Treasure of his Gospel. It was Their Truft and Office, to teftify what they had seen and heard, and particularly to vindicate his Memory, as to the manner and willingness of his Death. That this was not a thing of Compulfion but Choice; that none of thefe Events surpriz'd or confounded him: but that he knew them all, faw every step they moved toward him, and met them with the utmost Sedatenefs and Conftancy of Mind, notwithstanding all the Reluctancies of Human Nature. To this effect is that Charge given these Perfons after his Refurrection;

Luke xxiv. 44, 48.

These are the words which I fpake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Mofes, and in the Prophets, and in the Pfalms, concerning me. And ye are witnesses of these things.

The Sum of all is this. Whether we reflect upon the danger these Disciples were in, of being opprefs'd with an Affliction fo fenfible, as the Death of their Mafter, and the Infults and Malice of His and their Enemies; this Warning was exceeding feasonable and kind, to prepare them for, and sustain them under, fo heavy a burden. Or, whether we regard the Epidemick Error, concerning the Messiah's firft Appearance and Kingdom; these were contriv'd to rectify their Mistakes about this matter. Or, whether we confider the Scandal taken at a Crucified Lord; it was fit to fhew, that his Death was voluntary, and fo a demonftration of infinite Goodness and Love: fit, to fignify, by its agreement with the Prophecies, that this Defign, and all the Strokes of it, were order'd by a wifer Head than Ours, even the Counsel and Appointment of God himfelf: fit, to reprefent the fhame of our Lord's Crucifixion

cifixion abundantly recompenfed by the Glories of his Refurrection: fit laftly, to take all poffible care of those, to whom fo weighty a Truth was committed, and upon whofe Teftimony the fuccefs of the Chriftian Religion would in great measure depend.

The fame Warning may bring confiderable benefit to Every Christian, careful to improve it, as he ought, and may do. If he ufe it, as an occafion to filence all impious Cavils and Scruples, raised by his own Curiofity, or fuggefted by the Prophaneness of Others, to the difparagement of the Chriftian Inftitution. If he learn hence to value, to admire, this most wife and glorious Difpenfation: and to adore the Condefcenfion and Goodness of a fuffering Saviour, who was content to undergo fo much, for Wretches fo unworthy. If the Sight and Senfe of His Indignities and Wrongs, difpofe us to Patience and Meekness under our own. And, if the Confideration of all the Infolence and Barbarity, all the Shame and Pain our Jefus underwent, ftir us up to an holy Indignation and Revenge upon our Sins, the Caufe, that he was thus expofed, affronted, mifufed; The Traytors, that, with fuch exquifite Torture, fcourg'd, and nailed, and crucified the Body, and with Anguifh unconceivable pierc❜d the afflicted Soul of the Son of God. If this, I fay, provoke our Zeal, without Remorfe, to execute the Duties of the approaching Seafon: that is, by Abstinence and Mortification, and true Repentance, to fubdue and kill the Old Man, and utterly to abolish the whole Body of Sin. Thus fhall we now be Partakers of his Death: Thus fhall we alfo be Partakers of his Refurrection. Amen.

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