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cies he met, upon his firft coming into the world, were answerable to this. No 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 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 stood forth in the power of the Lord, confirming his doctrinet with mighty figns and wonders, the oppofition to him increased, and every act of charity he did to others brought new forrow and mifery to himself. During this time, in which he went about doing good, he had not, as he 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 fick of their infirmities, and forgave their fins, 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 fabbath-day, then he was no longer fit to live: these were fuch offences, as nothing but his death could expiate. Confider what he suffered, and he was the loweft of the fons 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 forrow. When the powers of 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 leaft adhered to

him, and willingly partook in his afflictions: but now one of these bofom-friends confpires his ruin, and fells him for thirty pieces of filver. The reft, though they were guilty of no fuch 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, fin only excepted, felt the pangs of nature at the approach of death, and retired to prayer, the only fupport of an afflicted spirit. In this his grief he chofe Peter, and the fons of Zebedee, to be his companions, that they might watch with him in his forrow: but even here they forfook him, and, insensible of their Master's agony, fell asleep. They were soon 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 is reproached with fullenness: when he speaks, he is charged with blafphemy. Sometimes he is buffeted and fpit on; by and by, in cruel fport, they pay him the mock honours of a prince, he is crowned with thorns, has a reed put into his hand, and in derision 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 queftion was put between him and a murderer, which fhould be released; and with one voice the people answered, Releafe 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 com

mon robbers, groaning under the bittereft agonies of death. Nor yet can all this misery create in the lookers on any pity or compaffion. See how they fshake 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 cross, nor those pangs which drew from him that complaint, My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me, nor all the malice and fcorn of the crucifiers could make him one 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 caufe, excufes their weakness, and begs for their pardon; Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

And here let us close this fcene, 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 alfo anfwer for ourselves in the words of the Pfalmift, I will receive the cup of falvation, 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 forrows; 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, Shall appear, we may also appear with him in glory.

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If ye then be rifen with Chrift, feek thofe things which are above, where Chrift fitteth on the right hand of God.

How much the metaphorical language of Scrip

ture has been mistaken, and what errors and abfurdities men have fallen into, under pretence of adhering to the literal fenfe, is well known. The words of the text are hardly capable of being so abused; for it is not poffible to imagine that St. Paul should intend to tell the Coloffians, or that the Coloffians fhould believe him if he did, that they lived no longer in this world, but were, in the literal sense, men raised from the dead. But, as our ftate and condition in this world is often fet forth in the Scriptures in metaphorical language, it has not fared fo well in all parts of it, but men have fometimes loft fight of the metaphor, and raised very abfurd notions from a literal interpretation, as I fhall have occafion to obferve to you in treating upon this fubject.

- The words now read to you are an inference from what had been before faid, as is evident from the

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