Hands? How shall we clear these Things? Look into the Gospel, and there you will find the Scene opening apace: There you will find your Lord despised and rejected of Men, persecuted and afflicted, and put to a cruel Death and open Shame, and yet rifing to Glory and Honour. There you may fee this Prisoner of the Grave ascending to the Glory of his Father, giving Gifts unto Men, and leading Captivity captive,

Let us then, in the last place, confider the hiftorical Evidence we have for the Completion of these Prophecies, which describe the calamitous Condition of our bleffed Redeemer.

The Way was prepared before he was born. His Conception led to it; fince the Meanness of his Parentage could promise nothing for the Child but Labour and Sorrow: And so it proved. This mighty Prince of Peace made his firft Appearance in a Manger; and we may well suppose the other Conveniencies he met, upon his first coming into the World, were anfwerable to this. Na fooner was he born, but his Life was fought after: The diftreffed Parents fly their Country, and the Child is carried into Banishment, before he knew to diftinguish between Good

and

and Evil. His Youth was spent in the Difficulties of Poverty, and his Hands employed in the Works of it; and when the Time came that he was to be made known unto Ifrael, and ftood forth in the Power of the Lord, confirming his Doctrine with mighty Signs and Wonders, the Oppofition to him increased, and every Act of Charity he did to others brought new Sorrow and Misery to himself. During this Time, in which he went about doing Good, he had not, as hẹ himself has told us, where to lay his Head. When he caft out Devils, he was immediately charged to be in League with the Prince of them. When he healed the Sick of their Infirmities, and forgave their Sins, then he was a Blafphemer, an Incroacher upon the Prerogative of God. When he restored the withered Hand, and cured the Lame or the Blind on the Sabbath-day, then he was no longer fit to live: Thefe were fuch Offences, as nothing but his Death could expiate. Confider what he fuffered, and he was the lowest of the Sons of Men: Confider what he did, and he appears, as he truly was, to be the Son of God.

But ftill there remains behind the gloomiest Scene of Sorrow. When the Powers of Darkness

I

Darkness prevailed, and the Time of his being offered up drew near, all Things confpired to make his Death bitter and terrifying. In his Life he had chofen Twelve to be his conftant Companions, and they at least adhered to him, and willingly partook in his Afflictions: But now one of thefe BofomFriends confpires his Ruin, and fells him for thirty Pieces of Silver. The reft, though they were guilty of no such Baseness, yet proved no Comfort in his Distress.

As the Danger drew near, our bleffed Lord, who was in all Things tempted like unto us, Sin only excepted, felt the Pangs of Nature at the Approach of Death, and retired to Prayer, the only Support of an afflicted Spirit. In this his Grief he chose Peter, and the Sons of Zebedee, to be his Companions, that they might watch with him in his Sorrow: But even here they forfook him, and, infenfible of their Master's Agony, fell asleep. They were foon awakened; but they awoke only to fly, and Chrift was left alone. Peter followed, but it was afar off; and he only followed him to deny him. Thus betrayed, and thus forfaken, he is carried to Judgment. When he is filent,

he

he is reproached with Sullennefs: When he speaks, he is charged with Blafphemy. Sometimes he is buffeted and spit on; by and by, in cruel Sport, they pay him the mock Honours of a Prince, he is crowned with Thorns, has a Reed put into his Hand, and in Derifion he is faluted, Hail, King of the Jews. And that nothing might be wanting to fhew how vile and contemptible he was to the People, the Question was put between him and a Murderer, which should be releafed; and with one Voice the People anfwered, Release unto us Barabbas. Thus was he defpifed and rejected of Men.

Follow him but one Step farther, and you will find him hanging upon the Cross between two common Robbers, groaning under the bittereft Agonies of Death. Nor yet can all this Mifery create in the Lookers on any Pity or Compaffion. See how they shake their Heads, and fay, Come down from the Cross, Son of God, come down, and we will believe thee. But neither the Pains of the Crofs, nor thofe Pangs which drew from him that Complaint, My God, my God, why hast thou forfaken me, nor all the Malice and Scorn of the Crucifiers could make him one

Moment

Moment forget his Love and Tenderness towards them. You hear no Complaint from him, no Appeals made against them to a future Judgment: Instead of this, with latest Breath he pleads their Cause, excuses their Weakness, and begs for their Pardon; Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

And here let us close this Scene, and return to ourselves with this Queftion, What Reward fhall I give unto the Lord for all the Benefits that he hath done unto me? Let us also answer for ourselves in the Words of the Pfalmift, I will receive the Cup of Salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord. We have nothing to return but our Love and Obedience, and nothing else is required of us. He hath borne our Griefs, and carried our Sorrows; let us not call for them again by our Iniquities: Let them be buried for ever, but let us arise to a new Life of Righteoufnefs in Chrift Jefus, that when Chrift, who is our Life, fhall appear, we may also appear with him in Glory.

DISCOURSE