by recognizing it now that I am grown up to years of understanding. And how is the obligation of one facrament to be acknowledged and renewed any way fo well, as by putting myfelf under the bond of the other? Befides that baptifm hath not so immediate and visible a regard to Chrift crucified as the Lord's fupper; on which therefore we fhould fet the highest value, to let the world fee that we think not this article of our faith any shame to us, or difcredit to our religion; but a very great honour and advantage to both.

II.

SECT.

WE

III.

E may confider the death of Chrift as that of a martyr, or witness; a martyr to the truth of his own doctrine, the firft, and the nobleft. His death was entirely voluntary. No man (faith he) taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself (m). As they could not have taken it from him without his confent; fo, without his confent, (could we fuppofe this), whatever he had fuffered, though the confequence of what he taught, would not have procured him the name of a martyr; for he is not a martyr, who, having brought himself into the fnare by fome doctrine which he hath advanced and propagated, would be glad to get out of it again upon any terms, even though it were the abjuring as false all that he had taught for (m) John x. 13.

true:

true but he that dares fay the fame, in the face of the most threatening dangers, that he had faid before; and chufes rather to die for the truth, than to deny and forfake it. This all will, allow to be a real martyr. And fuch a martyr was Jefus Chrift. When, upon his trial, the high priest adjured him by the living God, to tell him, whether he was the Chrift the Son of God (n); though filent before to all that the falfe witneffes had alledged against him, and not to be provoked to plead in his own defence, which he could eafily have done, in fuch a manner, as to make thofe who had the bittereft hatred to the truth, yield to the force of it; he immediately anfwers, Thou haft faid; or, I am that very perfon. Pilate, the Heathen governor, and his judge, asks him a like queftion, Art thou a king then? To which be replies, Thou fayeft that I am a king; or, What thou haft now faid, being taken out of the form of a queftion *, is very true. Thy words are, BackEUS E OU, Thou art a king; and I am free to fay that I am fo. To this end was I born, and for this caufe came I into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth (o). This is that good confeffion which St Paul faith he witnessed before Pontius Pilate, recommending it to his fon Timothy for his imitation (p). Here are two known characters of the Meffiah: for in the queftion

(n) Matth. xxvi. 63. (p) 1 Tim. vi. 13.

(0) John xviii. 37.

His answer to the question of the high priest, may be accounted for in the fame manner.

of the high priest, Art thou the Christ, the Son of God? Chrift (or Meffiah) and Son of God, feem to be ufed as equivalent expreffions; which we may fuppofe to be the reafon that in St Luke's relation of the fame thing, it is only, Art thou the Chrift (q)? And that the Meffiah was to be a King, the Jews to this day agree with us, as widely as we differ in explaining the nature of his kingdom. Our Saviour, for wife reafons, had not openly and directly affumed the name and ti tles of the Meffiah till now; but now that he was fummoned by the magiftrate to give witnefs to the truth, and no ill ufe could be made by the people of his owning himself to be a King, (when his death would convince them that his kingdom was not from hence, of a worldly and temporal kind, as he then told them), he no longer feeks concealment, but owns himself to be Meffiah the King, and the Son of God, though he was not ignorant that his fo doing could have no other effect than to haften his condemnation.

This our Saviour's conftancy to the death, which he bore with fo much meekness towards his enemies, and confidence in God; neither of which perhaps was ever known in a deceiver in that dreadful hour, though they might be in one deceived: this, I fay, added to the miracles he had wrought, and the exemplary holiness and goodness of his life, fhould make us think, when we are meditating on his death in this view of it, of the (q) Luke xxii. 67.

mighty confirmation which our faith, in the divinity of our religion, derives from hence. Would an impoftor, if it were poffible for fuch a one to put on the appearance of the most unaffected fanctity, and of all other virtues, have been able to maintain it to the ve ry laft, and in defence of a known falfehood? It cannot be. And therefore, when we see Jefus Chrift exemplifying his divine doctrine in his life, (of which more prefently), and fealing it with his blood, we may very well conclude, that for certain all things that John fpake of this man, or this man of himself, or his apoftles concerning him, are true (r).

But the ufe we are more immediately concerned to make of this view of our Saviour's death as of a martyr, is to reflect on the reafonableness of his demands, that we should facrifice every thing for the truth's fake, not excepting life itself; which we must hate, acting after much the fame manner as if we did fo, or we cannot be his difciples (). In all this he requires no more of us than he practifed himself; which fhould put us in mind of the difpofition with which we should celebrate. the memory of this glorious martyr; and bring us to refolve, with a humble reliance on heavenly aid, Though I die for thee, yet will I not deny thee; though all men fhould be offended in thee, yet will I not be offended. That God, who knoweth the hearts of all men, knows, without putting it to the trial, whether we should adhere thus firmly to the

(r) John x. 41. (Luke xiv, 26.

caufe

cause of truth; and where he fees a preparation of mind and heart, will reward it; though not perhaps with the fame crown as that of ́actual martyrs, yet with a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

III.

SECT.

WE

IV.

E may confider the death of Chrift as that of our example. Generally they that are put to death by the public magiftrate, are fet forth as examples in another fenfe, viz. to warn and deter others. from doing like them. But here is one, who, though treated under a form of justice as the worft of malefactors, is yet propofed to us as an example of all virtue and goodness; of virtue calumniated, oppreffed, and perfecuted, yet ftill the fame. So we are told, that Christ fuffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his fłeps (t). In our bleffed Lord we have an example of the greatest difintereftcdnefs, the most ardent zeal and concern for the good of mankind, the most wonderful humility and condefcenfion that ever was, and a refignation and obedience to God without bounds; all which we are called upon to imitate in those words of the Apoftle Paul to the Philippians: Let this mind be in you, which was alfo in Chrift Jefus: who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself (t) 1 Pet, ii, 21.

of