the Son of man be lifted up; that all worlds, the object of universal whosoever believeth in him should worship and adoration. We connot perish, but have eternal life." sider this glorious person coming in John iii. 14, 15. 66 Looking unto the flesh to be the Saviour of the Jesus, the author and finisher of world, to seek and save the lost, our faith, who, for the joy set be- from mere love and compassion to fore him, endured the cross, de- deservedly perishing sinners. The spising the shame; and is set down spotless purity of his human nature; at the right hand of the throne of the perfection of his obedience to God." Heb. xii. 2. The Baptist the divine law; the depth of his may be supposed to have addressed voluntary humiliation; the poverty, his disciples to this effect. You and contempt, and the contradicwant pardon of your sins, and deli- tion of sinners, which he endured verance from the power and pollu- through life, demand our most seri. tion of iniquity: "Behold then the ous attention. He effected not his Lamb of God, who taketh away the gracious purposes in our behalf, as sin of the world." He alone can a monarch or a conqueror: he taught confer these blessings; apply to not as a philosopher or a moralist : him, become his disciples, rely on" but he took upon him the form of him entirely, and follow implicitly a servant," and “gave his life a his directions; thus you will be ransom for many." saved, and be made instrumental to We should, however, especially the salvation of your fellow sin- contemplate the variety and intenseners!' ness of his sufferings, in the closing But we may understand the call scene of his humiliation: the exin a more comprehensive sense, as cruciating pain he endured from an exhortation to meditate seriously the scourge, the thorns, and the and frequently on the great doc-nails, and when hanging on the actrines thus revealed; to behold and cursed tree; with the anguish of contemplate the person and redemp- mind he felt when agonizing in the tion of Christ with fixed attention, garden, and when on the cross, he and humble faith. He seems to exclaimed, " My God, my God, address us from the cross, and to why hast thou forsaken me?" It say, "Is it nothing to you, all ye is very important for us to reflect that pass by? Behold, and see if on what the Redeemer suffered there be any sorrow like unto my from men; from the base treachery sorrow, which is done unto me; of Judas, the unfaithfulness of Peter, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted the cowardice of the disciples; the me in the day of his fierce anger." cruel injustice of Caiaphas, the Lam. i. 12. Let us then turn our scribes, priests, council, and even thoughts from all other subjects, their servants; from the contempt and with believing application to and indignity put upon him by ourselves, contemplate the interest- Herod and his men of war; the ing scene, which we this day com- cruelty and scorn of Pilate's soldiers; the lingering tortures of the

memorate.

We cannot well enter on such cross, the ingratitude of the insultmeditations, without adverting to ing multitude, and the revilings the language of the sacred writers, even of the malefactors. We should concerning the essential and eternal recollect likewise, that this was the deity of Christ, One with the Fa- hour and power of darkness: and ther, the Creator and Upholder of what gloomy imaginations, and de

tested thoughts might be presented that our Lord most willingly subto the mind of Christ, by the subtle mitted to all these sufferings, from and energetic influence of evil spi-love to our souls and regard to the rits, may be best conceived by those glory of God. No man had power who "are not ignorant of their de- to take away his life: the prince of vices." 66 He suffered, being tempt- this world had no part in him; no ed, that he might be able to succour personal transgression exposed him them that are tempted:" and the to the sentence of death; but love, assault of Satan in the desert may that passeth knowledge, moved him convince us, that he would do bis to give himself a propitiatory sacriutmost, when permitted, to bruise fice for our sins! The meekness, the heel of Him, who came to patience, and persevering fortitude, crush his head and destroy his with which our Lord suffered, should works. not pass unnoticed. "He was

But we are also taught, that " it brought as a lamb to the slaughter, pleased the Lord to bruise him, and and as a sheep before his shearers to put him to grief: and to make his is dumb, so he opened not his soul an offering for sin." "Awake, mouth." "Christ also suffered for O sword, against my shepherd, and us, leaving us an example that ye against the man that is my fellow, should follow his steps; who, when saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the he was reviled, reviled not again; shepherd." Zech. xiii. 7. He when he suffered he threatened spared not his own Son, but deli- not." 1 Pet. ii. 21-23.

vered him up for us all." And The circumstances attending his when we compare our Lord's agony crucifixion, also form a proper subin the garden, and his exclamation ject of meditation. The sun was on the cross, with the conduct of miraculously darkened, as a token his own disciples under the severest of the divine displeasure, and an tortures: we must be convinced emblem of the gloom which overthat his cup was imbittered incon- spread the Sun of righteousness. ceivably more than theirs, and that Yet in this deep humiliation of the consolations and supports were Lord of glory, he rescued one perishvouchsafed them, of which he was ing sinner from the jaws of destrucwholly left destitute. We cannot tion, and took him with him to explain this subject. We may be paradise. When he expired, "the certain, that remorse of conscience, vail of the temple was rent ;" the despair, and the prevalence of hate-rocks were torn by an earthquake, ful passions, which will eternally the graves were opened, and the increase the misery of condemned preparation made for the resurrecsinners, could have no place in the tion of those saints, who were apmind of the holy Jesus: but what- pointed to grace the triumph of the ever pain, shame, wrath, curse, rising and ascending Saviour. For agony, or misery, he could possibly the event of his sufferings in his endure; whatever the justice of personal exaltation, and the comGod, the honour of the law, and plete salvation, in body and soul, of the instruction of the universe in all the unnumbered myriads, which the evil and desert of sin, required; ever did, or ever shall believe in all this the Redeemer suffered, till him, is the last particular, to which he could say with his expiring our present meditations should be breath," It is finished." directed. But it is time for us to

It should likewise be remembered. proceed,

IV. To consider the peculiar in- providing for their comfort in this structions to be derived from these world? and shall it not influence contemplations. us to proportionable earnestness in

The worth of our immortal souls seeking their salvation? O cruel and is most emphatically taught us by infatuated parents, who take excesthe cross of Christ. What is a sive care about the bodies of your man profited if he gain the whole children, and leave their precious world and lose his own soul? or souls to perish everlastingly for what shall a man give in exchange want of diligent instruction; or perfor his soul?" Could any one lite- haps even help to murder them by rally gain the whole universe, as indulging their sinful dispositions, the price of iniquity, and keep it and setting them a bad example! with every imaginable advantage Nay, let us further learn to conduring the term of human life; it sider, that our relatives, neighbours, could neither preserve his body from and enemies, have immortal souls, the grave, nor his soul from eternal because they are so valuable. "He misery! "It costs more to redeem that winneth souls is wise:" let us the soul that must be let alone then think nothing too much to exfor ever." View the Saviour ago-pend or attempt in promoting that nizing in Gethsemane, and expiring grand object, for which the Son of on the cross! Did he endure these God shed his precious blood. unknown sufferings to preserve men But viewed in this glass, how from temporal poverty, pain, or vain does the world, and all things death? By no means: but to de- in it appear! "God forbid that I liver them from the wrath to come; should glory, save in the cross of where their worm dieth not, and our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom the fire is not quenched." Who the world is crucified to me, and I can doubt then, that an immortal unto the world." What are emsoul is man's principal treasure? pires, or the loss of them? What It is possessed by the meanest, and renown, or infamy? What affluit infinitely exceeds in value all the ence, or poverty? What the most distinctions of the mightiest. He exquisite pleasure or torturing pain, who made the soul knows its worth: when put in competition with eterand he deemed it so valuable, that nal happiness or misery? or when he ransomed our souls from ruin, at viewed in connexion with the cross the price of his own blood. Shall of Christ? Had he not so loved us, we not then deem the salvation of all possible prosperity could not them our grand concern, and regard have prevented our everlasting all interfering objects as unworthy misery: if we believe in him, all our notice in the comparison! If possible adversity cannot prevent we would never succeed in any one our everlasting happiness. Let us thing all our lives, except in this not then envy the wealthy and sucmain concern, our felicity will be cessful, but pity and pray for them: congratulated by angels to eternity; let us not covet worldly things, reif we should prosper in all other pine for want of them, or lament the respects, and fail here, our folly and loss of them: let us not join in the misery will be lamented and exe-vain mirth of condemned sinners, or crated for ever. be satisfied with any thing short of

souls.

Our children also have immortal the joy of God's salvation. Does then our love of them By contemplating the cross of induce us to use every means of Christ, we may learn the perfection

of God's justice and holiness, the | cify the Lord afresh, and put him excellency of his law, and the de- to open shame." When we view sert of sinners. In the condemna- the miseries of the world, and the tion of fallen angels and wicked ravages of death, we may well inmen, and in many other awful ways, quire, "Who slew all these?" And the Lord hath proclaimed his ab- the consideration may help to abase horrence of iniquity, and his deter- us for sin, and excite us to oppose mination to magnify his holy law and crucify our lusts, which are the yet his mercy not being visible in murderers of the whole human race, those events, it might have been and menace our destruction. Yet thought, either that he was incapa-the cross of Christ, when duly conble of showing mercy, or that in templated, suggests far more powerexercising mercy he would abate ful motives for contrition and selffrom the demands of justice, and abhorrence, and will far more effecconnive at transgression. But the tually influence us to seek the desubject before us, well understood, struction of those hated enemies, confutes all such vain imaginations. that crucified the Lord of glory. When mercy triumphed most illus- But the same object will likewise triously, justice was most gloriously teach us, that neither our repentdisplayed, the law most honoured, ance or amendment, nor any thing and sin most exposed to universal else we can do, will at all serve to detestation. 'Rather,' says the expiate our guilt, or justify us in the Saviour, will I bear the curse of sight of God. "If righteousness the divine law, and the punishment come by the law, then Christ died of sin, in my own person, and make in vain." Men set up a variety of an expiation of infinite value by my reasonings against the express and sufferings and death upon the cross, numerous testimonies of God to this than either leave sinners to perish leading truth; and thus vainly "go without help, or allow the law to about to establish their own rightebe dishonoured, and justice to be ousness.' But a serious view of relaxed for their benefit.' 66 Do we the Lamb of God, as taking away then make void the law through the sin of the world, may convince faith? God forbid, yea we esta- us that every hope they form of blish the law." escaping condemnation or obtaining Here again we may learn repent- life, except by faith in a crucified ance, and abhorrence of our iniqui- Saviour, will most surely prove falties. 66 They shall look on me, lacious and ruinous : for if any thing whom they pierced, and mourn." ." else would as effectually have anThe more lovely and glorious the swered the purposes of God, he divine perfections appear, the more would doubtless have spared his excellent the holy law, and the more own Son, and saved sinners in some hateful and destructive transgres- other way.

sion are found to be; the deeper On the other hand, we here beshould be our sorrow and remorse, hold the riches of the divine comwhile we recollect and review all passion, and tender mercy towards our numerous and heinous offences, the sinful children of men. "Herein and all their aggravations; and the is love, not that we loved God, but more ought we to dread and hate that he loved us, and sent his Son those evil propensities, from which to be the propitiation for our sins." all our crimes proceed, and which If then God so loved us when ene. continually aim, as it were, to "cru- mies, what may not those expect

from him, who renounce every other and encouragements; and here we plea, and flee for refuge to lay hold must view that perfect example, on this hope set before them? In which we are required to copy. every penitent who supplicates Forgiveness of injuries, love of enemercy for the sake of Christ and mies, perseverance in well-doing, his atoning blood, the Redeemer amidst insult, contempt, and ingra"sees of the travail of his soul, and titude, and compassion to perishing is satisfied:" for this very purpose sinners, are best learned by lookhe suffered and died on the cross, ing to the cross; by witnessing the "that he might become the author triumph of divine love in the sufof eternal salvation to all them that ferings of Emmanuel, and hearing obey him" and on this ground we him mingle his dying groans with "Let the heart of them rejoice prayers for his cruel and insulting that seek the Lord." And, "if murderers.

say,

when we were enemies, we were Meditation on this subject may reconciled to God by the death of also convince us, that we must exhis Son, much more being recon-pect tribulation in the world, and ciled we shall be saved by his life." the enmity or contempt of unbe"He that spared not his own Son, lievers, if we belong to Christ, and but delivered him up for us all; bear his image. His wisdom, holihow shall he not with him also ness, and love, were perfect: yet freely give us all things?" no one of our race ever experienced

But while we mingle our tears of such hatred and insult from all godly sorrow with joyful thanks- ranks, orders, and descriptions of givings, and glory in Christ Jesus men, as the spotless Lamb of God! amidst all our tribulations; let us Malefactors commonly meet with also, my brethren, look to the cross, some pity amidst their tortures, and learn our obligations to the however merited; but Jews and most self-denying and devoted obe- Gentiles, rulers, scribes, priests, soldience. Can we, with this object diers, and the multitude, could unite full in view, deem any expense too in cruel mockery of the holy Jesus, great, any sacrifice too costly, any when expiring on a cross! Away cross too heavy, or labour too se- then with all those flattering sentivere, which his glory, the authority ments of human nature, which reof his command, or the benefit of present it as loving and delighting his purchased flock, call us to un- in genuine excellency: the cross dergo? Surely the constraining of Christ, and the sufferings of his love of Christ will render every loss most faithful servants in every age, or suffering tolerable, yea pleasant, form a demonstrative confutation to the thankful believer; while he of the proud delusion! And if our beholds the Lamb of God expiring hearts have been changed by divine on the cross to take away that sin, grace, so that we love and imitate which would otherwise have eter- the lowly and holy Saviour; let us nally ruined his soul; and to pur-count our cost, expect scorn and chase for him everlasting and un- hatred from men, tribulation in the utterable felicity! world, and peace and consolation

Here too we must look, that we from the Lord alone. Let us also may learn patience, meekness, spi-look beyond the cross, and contemrituality, and every part of that plate the glory which followed; that holiness to which we are called. we may not be wearied and faint in Hence we must draw our motives our minds. We too have a joy set