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This we may fee in verfes 19, 20. and other verfes of the xxxviii. Pfalm, and the general contents of the lxix. and cxix. Pfalms; to which the whole lii. chap. of Ifaiah should be added as greatly illuftrating the fubject. Indeed we might fill many pages with quotations both from the Old and New Testament to the fame purpofe. But from what is already produced or mentioned, being read or confidered in connexion, when we view him as confeffing the burden of fin lying on him, and complaining of Jehovah's wrath and hot displeasure on account thereof, verfe 1. and onwards of the xxxviii. Pfalm-his numerous enemies seeking after his life, laying fnares, fpeaking mifchievous things, and imagining deceits all the day long, verfes 12 and 20, to which accufations he as a deaf man heard not, and as a dumb 'man opened not his mouth in reproof, verfes 13, 14-when we view his 'lovers and his friends ftand aloof from his fore, and his kinfmen stand afar off, verfe 11.-when we confider that he was denied by one of his difciples, betrayed by another, and that all of them forfook him, and fled --when we hear him complaining as in Pfalm lxxxviii. verfes 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17. Thou haft laid me in the lowest pit, in darkneffes, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou haft afflicted me with all thy waves. Thou haft put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou haft made me an abomination unto them: I am fhut up, and I cannot come forth. I am afflicted, and ready to die from my youth up: While I fuffer thy terrors I am distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me, thy terrors have cut me off. They came round about me daily like water, they compaffed me about together,"-we may fee the reason of all this fet forth in the language of the church," all we like sheep have gone aftray: We have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all-and in what Peter fays, "who his own felf bare our fins in

his own body, &c." For ye were as fheep going aftray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your fouls."

Here we may fee the reason why Jefus Chrift, in the days of his humiliation, takes to himself and confeffes the fins of his people; namely, that he might appear as their furety, fuffering the punishment due to their tranfgreffions, that by his ftripes they might be healed. Thus he was the good fhepherd who gave his life for the sheep, that they might efcape or go free from eternal death, and receiving abundance of grace, might have life here, and more abundantly hereafter. was dealt with as if he had been the only tranfgreffor, when the fword of the Lord was awaked against the man that was his fellow, and he was led as a lamb to to the flaughter; and as a fheep before her fhearers is dumb, fo he opened not his mouth.

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We may alfo here further fee why he was filent under the falfe accufations and reproaches of his enemies, not denying the crimes laid to his charge; namely, that the fcripture might be fulfilled which faith, and he was numbered with the tranfgreffors, &c." and his affured confidence that his righteoufnefs would foon be espoused by the righteous Father in raifing him from the dead, and exalting him to the highest glory, when he should fee of the travel of his foul, and be fatisfied. This is expreffed in verfe 15, of the forecited xxxviii. Pfalm, "for in thee, O Lord, do I hope; thou wilt hear me, O Lord, my God."

And as his way to glory was through the path of fufferings, fo he has left an example to his difciples, that they should walk in his steps. They are chaftened of the Lord, that they fhould not be condemned with the world. For whom the Lord loveth, he chafteneth, and scourgeth every fon whom he receiveth

that they might be partakers of his holinefs. And although this chaftening includes all the afflictions that befall them in this prefent evil world; yet it has

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more efpecial reference to the reproaches and perfecu tions of their adverfaries, as is evident from many paffages in the New Teftament: And thefe paffages hold forth the necefity of their being thus chaftifed in order to refine, purify, ftrengthen, eftablish, and fettle them, and fit them for eternal glory; yea, that a continued fcene of patient enduring the contradiction of finners, is the way in which they must be led in order to partake of the confolation that is in Chrift, and have foretastes of that joy which is to be revealed at the appearing of Jefus Chrift.-See Hebrews xii. 1 to: the 11. James i. 2 to the 4. 1ft of Peter i. 6, 7. and iv. 13, 14. Romans y. 3, 4. 5. and viii. 17. 2d of Corinthians i. 4 to the 7. and xii. to.

Thus the difciples of Chrift, by the afflictions and perfecutions which they endure for his name's fake, being hated by the world, because they are not of the world, do learn to keep clofe to the word of truth held forth in the gospel, in the full affurance of faith and hope, that he who brought again from the dead the great Shepherd of the fheep, will make all things work together for their good, and raise them up at the last day, presenting them faultlefs before his prefence with exceeding joy.*

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In further answer to the objection, how can fuch words as thefe," before I was afflicted I went aftray," be confidered as the language of Jefus Chrift? it may be added, that as antient Ifrael after the flesh in the manifold inftances of their forfaking the true God, and ferving other gods, typified the Ifrael of God among all nations, and in all ages, in their various ftrayings and purfuits after lying vanities; fo as it is faid of Jehovah with relation to the former when they were brought low for their iniquity in or der to reduce them to obedience, that "his foul was grieved for the mifery of Ifrael" In like manner Jefus Chrift, when he faw that there was none righteous, no, not one, among the children of men, that darkness had covered the earth, and grofs darknefs the people, he became greatly afflicted, even to the laying down his life for the fheep, that he might gather together into one fold the children of God that were scattered abroad. We may therefore confider thefe expreffions, "but now have I kept thy word-feek thy fervant; for I do i not forget thy commandments"-as pleading his own righteoufnefs, and claiming the reward of his obedience unto death, in which his church as being one with himself is included. See Hebrews ii. 9. 10. 11.

As I have faid, that wherever in the Pfalms the righteous man, the godly man, &c. is mentioned in the fingular number, Chrift is always meant ; it may be objected

It may alfo be observed, that the nation of Ifrael were chofen out of all nations, to be the peculiar people of God, distinguished with manifold mercies, and extraordinary interpofitions of divine providence in their favour. But as by their history we find, that notwithstanding all the appearances of divine goodness and severity towards them, they were ftill a disobedient and gainfaying people, they are herein held forth as a fample or resemblance of the whole world of mankind, who are all gone out of the way of righteoufnefs, and are together become filthy, none of them doing good, no, not one. Since therefore there was none among men that could by any means give to God a ransom for the redemption of his foul, it was necessary that the arm of the Lord fhould be revealed to bring falvation to his elected ones whom he had chosen before the foundation of the world; and to this end it was neceffary that the Son of God fhould become man, and be afflicted through a scene of patient fufferings, fulfilling in the form of a fervant the precepts of the law, and pouring out his foul even unto death for the tranfgreflions of his people. If it be enquired, what does all this fignify in anfwer to the objection? I answer, that in view of this finful, miferable state of mankind, under the first covenant, notwithstanding all those temporal bleffings which men naturally plead for as advantageous in order to obedience, and which the Ifraelites were under, whofe heart was nevertheless not right with God, nor ftedfast in his covenant; I fay, in this view of the corruption of human nature, Jefus Chrift (in whom alone the divine good pleasure refted) having the guilt of his people transferred to him, fpeaks of his going aftray; that is, that before he was afflicted, his fheep, who are the antitype of Ifrael, were involved in the fame guilt with the rest of mankind. He adds, "but now have I kept thy word." It was neceffary that he fhould be afflicted not only as the procuring caufe of their falvation, but that his obedience might appear perfect; for then only does virtue appear confpicuous when under manifold trials, temptations, and diftreffes-that which is commonly called in the world virtue in high life, being unworthy the name of virtue; for genuine virtue, or stedfaft refolution in obedience to the divine will cannot appear, without the trial of fufferings to manifest it. Christ Jefus therefore became a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief all the days of his humiliation, that his obedience being tried thereby, might appear exceeding perfect, or the perfection of obedience; fo that he 'could fay on the crofs, when committing his fpirit into the hands of his Father, IT IS FINISHED.

And as it was with the head, fo it is with the members of Chrift's body the church, who through much tribulation muft enter into the kingdom of God. When they are firft brought to the knowledge of the gofpel, they have a moft humbling, painful and afflicting view of themfelves on account of their finfulness, and fo continue to have all the days of their mortal ftate, looking on him who was pierced for their fins, they mourn; while at the fame time they are exceeding joyful in Chrift Jefus in all their tribulations, because he has kept the word of God, and never turned afide from the divine commandments. The afflictions which they meet with in the courfe of divine providence, and from the adverfaries of Chriftianity, are many and great; and by those they learn to cease ftraying after lying vanities, and to keep the word of Chrift's patience unto the end.

objected, how can Pfalm xii. 1. be applied to him, "help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth?" If this is to be understood of Chrift, how is he faid to cease?

For answer, it may be illustrated from a passage in Deborah's Song, Judges v. 6, 7. The travellers walked through by-ways; the inhabitants of the villages ceafed, they ceafed in Ifrael"—which I fuppofe is to fhew, that the enemy prevailed fo far as to drive the inhabitants from the villages. So when the godly man ceaseth, it is added, "the faithful fail from among the children of men." The faithful are to contend for the faith once delivered to the faints, and to maintain the order Chrift has established in his church. While it is thus, their order and the ftedfaftnefs of their faith being beheld, Chrift is beheld among them. Pfalm Ixviii. 24. "they have feen thy goings, O God, the goings of my God, my King, in the fanctuary." Where his voice is heard, there is his kingly power made manifeft. Pfalm cx. 3. " Thy people fhall be willing in the day of thy power. Eccl. viii. 4. Where the word of a king is, there is power." But when, thro' the prevalence of antichrift, the faithful fail from among the children of men, and instead of a contention for the faith, they speak vanity every one to his neighbour, vainly attributing that to creatures which belong to Chrift, glorying in men, afcribing thofe excellencies to them which belong only to him, complimenting them with his characters and titles, raifing that veneration and regard to great names which belongs to Christ; then his glory is eclipfed, and men are led to seek that in men efteemed godly, which is to be found only in Christ. Hence in time of distress, or the near view of death, fuch men are fent for with great anxiety, distress, and confufion of mind, that they may pray with the diftreffed; which often ferves to quiet the minds of the diftreffed, and their friends about them; while they remain ignorant of the finished work of Christ, (which is the only ground of hope for the guilty before God)

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