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of death, or in the day of judgment, when I must give an account of my preaching, and you of what

heard in this place.

you have 1. That'salvation is, indeed, wholly of grace. The gift of a Saviour, the first dawn of light into the heart, all the supports and supplies needful for carrying on the work, from the foundation to the top stone; all is of free grace.

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2. That now "the Lamb of God" is preached to you, as taking away the sin of the world; if you reject him, which may the Lord forbid! I say, if you reject him, your blood will be upon your own head. You are warned, you are invited. Dare not to say, Why "doth he yet find fault, for who hath resisted his "will"?" If he will save me, I shall be saved; if not, what can I do? God is merciful, but he is also holy and just; he is almighty, but his infinite power is combined with wisdom, and regulated by the great designs of his government. He can do innumerable things which he will not do. What he will do, (so far as we are concerned,) his word informs us, "and not one jot ❝or tittle thereof shall fail †."

Rom. ix. 19.

39

Matth, v. 18.

SERMON XVII.

MESSIAH DESPISED, AND REJECTED OF MEN.

ISAIAH liii. 3.

He is despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.

THE heathen moralists, ignorant of the character and

perfections of God, the true dignity and immortality of the soul, and the root and extent of human depravity, had no better foundation for what they called virtue than pride; no higher aim in their regulations, than the interests of society and the conduct of civil life. They expressed, indeed, occasionally, some sentiments of a superior kind; but these, however just and valuable upon the principles of revelation, were delusive and impracticable upon their And Brutus, one of the most admired characters of antiquity, confessed, just before he put an end to his own life, that having long been enamoured of virtue as a real good, he found it, at last, to be but an empty But though they had so little satisfaction or success in the pursuit of virtue, they were so pleased with the idea they formed of it, as generally to suppose, that if virtue could become visible, it would necessarily engage the esteem and admiration of mankind.

own.

name.

There was, however, one remarkable exception to this opinion. The wisdom of Socrates seems to have been, in many respects, different from that of the bulk of their philosophers. Socrates having expressed his idea of a perfect character, a truly virtuous man, ventured to predict the reception such a person, if such a one could

ever be found, would meet with from the world.

And

he thought, that his practice would be so dissimilar to that of other men, his testimony against their wickedness so strong, and his endeavours to reform them so importunate and unwelcome, that, instead of being universally admired, he would be disliked and hated; that mankind were too degenerate and too obstinate, to bear either the example or the reproof of such a person, and would most probably revile and persecute him, and put him to death as an enemy to their peace.

In this instance, the judgment of Socrates accords with the language of the Old, and with the history of the New Testament. MESSIAH was this perfect character. As such Isaiah describes him. He likewise foresaw how he would be treated, and foretold that he would be "numbered with transgressors," despised and rejected by the very people who were eye-witnesses of his upright and benevolent conduct. And thus, in fact, it proved. When Jesus was upon earth, true virtue and goodness were visibly displayed, and thereby the wickedness of man became signally conspicuous. For they among whom he was conversant,"preferred a robber and a “murderer to him*." They preserved Barabbas, who had been justly doomed to die for enormous crimes, and they nailed Jesus, in his stead, to the cross.

When MESSIAH appeared, the Jews professed to blame the wickedness of their forefathers, who had opposed and slain the prophets. If they regretted the illtreatment the "servants" of God had formerly received, might it not be hoped that "they would reverence his Sont?" concerning whom, under this character of MESSIAH, their expectations were raised by the Scrip+ Matth, xxi. 37.

* John xviii. 40.

tures, which were read in their synagogues every Sabbath-day.

But" he was despised and rejected of men." Angels sung praises at his birth, "but men despised him." He took not upon him the nature of angels, but of man, "yet men rejected him." Sinful, helpless men “ rejected "and despised" the only Saviour. "He came to his 66 own, but his own received him not." How lamentable and fatal was their obstinacy? Pretended* Messiahs were eagerly regarded and followed by them; but the true MESSIAH" was despised and rejected of men !"

Let us consider the clauses of the text separately, in the order in which we read them.

I. "He was despised and rejected of men." It would be a great mistake to imagine that the Jews were the only people capable of this ingratitude and obstinacy. If any person here thinks, Surely I would not have despised him, had I seen his wonderful works, and heard him speak as never man spake; possibly, that thought may prove you to be of the very same spirit with those who, while they thirsted-for his blood, ignorantly presumed that, if they had lived in the days of their forefathers, they would not have joined with them in persecuting the prophetst. The prejudices which operated so strongly against our Lord's mission and ministry, were not peculiar to the people of one age or country, but such as are deeply rooted in the nature of fallen man. The same principles which influenced the Jews to oppose and despise his person, still influence multitudes to slight and oppose the doctrine which he taught, and which he commanded his disciples to preach and

* John v. 43.

↑ Matth. xxiii. 30.

perpetuate to the end of the world. In proof of this, it will be sufficient to assign some of the principal causes of the contempt and hatred which he met with from the men of that generation.

.

I. They "despised him" for what they accounted the meanness of his appearance. Though rich in himself, he became poor for our sakes, and his poverty made him contemptible in their eyes. They expected MESSIAH Would appear with external pomp and power. But when they saw him, they scorned him, saying "Is "not this the carpenter's son*?" He who had not money to pay the tribute demanded† of him, nor a house wherein to lay his head, was of small esteem with those who were covetous, proud of worldly distinctions, and fond of the praise and admiration of men?

2. Their contempt was heightened, when this poor man publicly asserted his proper character and claim, demanded their attention and homage, and styled himself in a peculiar sense "the Son of God," " the resur"rection and the lifet." For this seeming inconsistence between the appearance he made and the honours he assumed, they treated him as a demoniac and a madmans. Their language strongly expressed their sentiments of him, when they asked him with disdain, "Art "thou greater than our father Abraham? Whom makest "thou thyself?"

S. They objected to him the low state and former characters of his followers. Some of them were of low rank in life. The most of those who constantly attended him were poor fishermen. Others had been of bad repute, publicans and open sinners. For this

* Matth. xiii. 55. § John x. 20. VOL. IV.

† Matth. xvii. 27. John v. 18.; xi. 25. || John viii. 53.

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