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reception. Even where the word was most successful, the great majority rejected it with disdain. And how has it been received amongst us? Blessed be God! we are not left wholly without witness; but the geneality despise and reject Christ, as much as ever the Jews did in the days of his flesh. He is not indeed exposed to their outrage; they cannot scourge and buffet him as once they did; but there are many other ways, wherein they no less virulently express their contempt of him. With what pertinacity do many controvert the divinity of his person, the reality of his atonement, and the efficacy of his grace! And what is this, but to deny the Lord that bought them? Again, what is more common than for persons to rely upon their own repentance and reformation for acceptance with God, instead of trusting simply in his blood and righteousness? and what is this, but to rob him of his glory, and exclude him from the office, which he came to execute? Can any thing be more contemptuous than this? Again, he has given us commandments, in obeying which we are to testify our regard to him, and to honour him in the world. But who yields to his authority? Who brings his thoughts and actions into captivity to his will? Is not the language of the generality at least, "We will not have this man to reign over us?? To what purpose is it to say, Lord, Lord, if we do not the things which he says? it is only to act over again the part of those, who bowed the knee to him, and yet smote him on the face. Indeed, all despise him, who do not value him as they ought. If we viewed him in his real character, we should see a beauty in him for which he is to be desired; we should "behold his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father;" he would appear to us "fairer than ten thousand, and altogether lovely;" and the language of our hearts would be, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee." But how few are there who thus "count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ!" Yet they, who do not thus regard him, have no just sense of his worth and excellence, and therefore in reality undervalue and despise him.

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We cannot better improve this subject than by observing, First, What enmity there is in the heart of man against God!

The apostle of the Gentiles has told us, that " the carnal and unrenewed mind is enmity against God." This indeed is an hard saying: but we have abundant proof of the truth of it in the subject we have been considering. We have evidence enough of it in the general forgetfulness of God, and the opposition to his will which prevails in the world. But, in the instance before us, an experiment has been made; an experiment which removes all doubt, and proves indisputably, how men would treat, God, if they had him in their power. God has, for the accomplishment of his own gracious purposes, condescended to clothe himself in human flesh, and to sojourn among men. He assumed nothing of the pomp and splendour of this world, that the attachment or aversion of men might the more evidently appear to arise from their discovery of his true character. He dazzled not their eyes by a full display of his Deity, but suffered the rays of it occasionally to appear, as their organs of vision were able to bear it. He admitted them so close to him, that they might easily contemplate his proper character, and form a rational judgment of his excellencies and perfections. By this he gave them an opportunity of testifying what were the dispositions of their minds towards him. And what was the result of the experiment? Did they love him, admire him, and adore him as God? Behold, they could "see no form nor comeliness in him." On the contrary, they hated him, despised him, and crucified him as a malefactor. Nor was this owing to the violence of a few: the whole nation rose up against him, and put him to death. Now this shews us in the clearest light, what human nature is, and what enmity there is in the heart of man against God. And oh! what an humiliating thought is it, that we should be even capable of such atrocious wickedness! If any one object, that this was done by the Jews; and that, if God were to come down amongst us, he would meet with a more suitable reception; we reply, That in whatever place he should appear, he would assuredly be treated in the same way: for indeed he does

come; he comes to us in the preaching of his gospel: he is truly, though not visibly, amongst us; for he has said, "Lo! I am with you alway even to the end of the world:" yet, so far from admiring his beauty, and adoring his goodness, we scarcely bestow a thought upon him; yea, instead of seeking our happiness in him, and devoting ourselves wholly to his service, there is no possession so contemptible, but we prefer it before him, nor any lust so base, but we choose the indulgence of it rather than his favour.

Let this melancholy truth sink down into our hearts, and cause us to loathe ourselves in dust and ashes. Nor let us ever rest, till our enmity be slain, and our aversion to him be turned into reverence and lově.

In contrast with this, let us next observe, What love there is in the heart of God towards man!

Had God foreseen that his creatures would have instantly and universally adored him, we must have for ever marvelled at the love that induced him to become incarnate. But how transcendent does that love appear, when we consider that he foresaw the treatment he should meet with, and that, as he died for his very murderers, so he now invites to mercy the most contemptuous of his enemies! Let heaven and earth stand amazed! and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy name for ever and ever.

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CLXXXVII. THE TRUE CAUSE OF OUR LORD'S

SUFFERINGS.

Isai. liii. 4, 5. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed.

WHATEVER difficulty there may be in ascertaining the precise import of some passages of scripture, the fundamental doctrines of our religion are all so plainly revealed, that he who runs may read them. There is not

any truth indeed, however strongly declared, which has not been controverted by those, who exalt their own reason above the word of God. But to the humble mind, that is willing to receive instruction, and that looks to God for the teaching of his Spirit, the general doctrines of Christianity, and that of the atonement in particular, are as clear as the sun at noon-day. The wisdom of some has been so perverted, that they could not see any reference to Christ in this whole chapter. But no person that is not blinded by prejudice, or intoxicated with the pride of human learning, can fail of applying the words of our text to him, "who died for our sins, and rose again for our justification." The prophet spake not as a matter of doubtful disputation, when he declared the cause of the Messiah's sufferings: but with the fullest confidence asserted, that "surely he died, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." In his words we may observe

I. The apprehended cause of our Lord's sufferings

It was a commonly received opinion that heavy afflic tions were indications of God's displeasure on account of some enormous sin.

This idea prevailed much among the Jews: their history abounded with instances of God's immediate 'interposition to punish sin; from whence they inferred, that every signal judgment proceeded from the same cause. It should seem that they had adopted this uncharitable mode of judging respecting those on whom the tower of Siloam fell, or whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, as though they were sinners above all others of their own nation. On one occasion they openly avowed this principle, ascribing the blindness of a man who had been born blind, either to some peculiar wickedness in his parents, or to some heinous crimes, which he himself had committed in a former state of existence. Indeed this sentiment was the foundation of all the dispute between Job and his friends: they argued on the presumption that no good man was ever left to endure very grievous

a

a Luke xiii. 2, 4.

b John ix. 2.

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trials; but that the wrath of God against hypocritical or audacious sinners, would be visibly displayed in this world. This idea also obtained among the heathen world. When Paul, after his shipwreck on the island of Malta, was bitten by à viper which fastened on his hand, the in habitants instantly exclaimed, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, vengeance suffereth not to live."'d

Now this construction was put upon the sufferings of our Lord. The people saw Jesus dying under a more accumulated weight of misery than ever had been endured by man. No one since the foundation of the world had been so universally execrated, or had met with so little compassion from his fellow creatures. They therefore concluded, that God had marked him out as an object fit to have every species and degree of cruelty exercised towards him; they esteemed him stricken, judicially smitten of God himself." What a shocking indignity was this! That they should not merely regard him as a sinner, but as the most atrocious sinner in the universe, who de served to have a murderer preferred before him!

"

But this was both foretold by the prophets and fully obviated by the occurrences of his life.

In tavo different Psalms, confessedly relating to Christ, it was, foretold that his enemies would conspire against him, and vindicate their conduct towards him from this consideration, that God himself had pointed him out by his judgments as deserving every thing that could be inflicted on him: "All that hate me whisper together against me, against me do they devise my hurt. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth, let him rise up no more." And again, "Mine enemies speak against me, and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together, saying, God hath forsaken him; persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver." This vile imputation on his character therefore becomes, in this view, a testimony on his behalf; since it was ordained that such indignities should be offered to the

e Job iv. 7-9. the words.

VOL. II.

d Acts xxviii. 4.
f Ps. xli. 7, 8.

X x

This is the import of 8 Ps. lxxi. 10, 11.

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