this important truth; more efpecially, as the time drew near, he repeatedly told them, that he must go up to Jerufalem, and be exposed to all manner of ignominious and cruel ufage, and finally be put to death, as he fignified, by the cross; to which however he generally added, that this dominion of death fhould be but for a fhort time over him; for on the third day he should rise again. When the appointed hour was come, every tittle of what the Prophets had formerly, and himself had recently, foretold, was fulfilled upon him. He was betrayed by his own familiar friend into the hand of his enemies °. He was perfecuted with all manner of cruel and ignominious ufage. He was numbered with the tranfgreffors. He was lifted up from the earth for the healing of thofe that looked upon him. They pierced his hands and his feet 9. They parted his garments among them: A bone of him was not broken. And, They looked on him whom they pierced'. More especially was this prophecy fulfilled, which represents him wounded for our transgreffions; and bruised for our iniquities. As a victim on an altar, fo our Redeemer on • Pf. xli. 9. Zech. xii. 10. P Numb. xxi. 9. John iii. 14, 15. Pf. xxii. 18. • Exod. xii. 46. the the crofs poured out his foul unto death, a full, perfect, and fufficient ransom for a transgreffing world. This dread event the Difciples witneffed with confufion and difmay. They had long expected him to come forward in the style and character of a temporal King, and to have enjoyed a long continued reign of prosperity and glory. And though he repeatedly dif claimed all ideas of fuch an elevation, and had frequently foretold his painful and agonizing death, yet they could never reconcile themselves to the thought. "That be far from thee, Lord "!" faid Peter, when he was once alluding to this mournful theme. How much therefore may we fuppofe them to have been overcome with despondence, when it really came to pass! Deprived of their head they were as fheep without a fhepherd *. And that ray of hope, which he had given them of his rifing again, seems to have been totally loft in the dismay that they now endured. But this defpondence was not to continue long. Though he yielded for a time to the powers of death and hell, he yielded only, that he might effect a more decifive con " Matth. xvi. 22. * Zech. xiii. 7. Matth. xxvi. 31. queft. queft. On the third day the tomb, to which he had been configned, furrendered its temporary prifoner, and he rofe in triumph from the dead. They then recollected the prophecy, that he had given them of this great event, and again they were collected, as fheep around their Shepherd. While gladdened with the fight of their departed Lord, they began to comprehend the mystery that had taken place. And foon after his afcenfion, while they were affembled together on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost fell on them, and their eyes were opened. The purpose of his death, which had hitherto remained under a veil, was now fully manifefted unto them. And being now fent to preach the Gospel both to Jews and Gentiles, even to all the world, they more efpecially dwelt on the theme of Chrift crucified. The Crofs, hitherto a mark of odium, was the most distinguished badge of their profeffion; and they brought it forward in all their discourses, as the sign both of their faith and of the benefits thence derived. This among others is the peculiar doctrine of St. Paul, whose labours in the office of an Apostle are better known to us than any of the reft. He preached Chrift crucified, to the Jews a ftumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness, but to them which are called E called to the faith, both Jews and Greeks, the wisdom and the power of God". And on this he copiously dwells in his Epistle to the Hebrews; in which he explains the whole economy of facrifice and interceffion according to the Law of Mofes, to be a type or emblem of the great propitiation by the blood of Chrift, who by this one offering of himself has perfected for ever them that are fanctified ". And to this the Apostle John continually reverts in that vifion of the Revelations, in which he saw heaven opened, and the whole company of heaven attendant round the throne of God. Though he represents the Son of God in all the fulness of celestial happiness and glory, yet through the whole of this book he reprefents him with a reference to his mediatorial character, as the propitiation for the fins of men. Thus in the beginning of his divine volume he calls him. "the faithful Witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth; who loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood, and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father y I Cor. i. 23, 24. a Rev. i. 5, 6. a z Heb. x. 14. And And in the course of the vifion, when this divine Perfon undertakes to open the mysterious book of God, he calls him the Lamb, that was flain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation "." It remains for me now, in conclufion of this difcourfe, to deduce an application to our own improvement both in the doctrine and the practice of godliness. In point of doctrine, this prophecy tends to establish and to regulate our faith in all thofe articles of our religion, which it is most expedient for us to know, whether of God or of ourselves. It fets before us all thofe attributes of God, in which confifts the excellence of his nature: the holinefs of God, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and therefore cannot regard us in our finful state with complacence, nor without fome expiation admit us into favour: the righteoufnefs of God, who would not suffer fin to pass without a fevere atonement: the mercy of God in accepting a ranfom in our ftead; and the wisdom of God, in adopting fo wonderful |