of no reputation, and took on him the form of a fervant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (u). Could humiliation, fubmiffion, and obedience, be carried farther than this? Not my will, but thine be done (x). I come to do thy will (y); to do it, by yielding myself to fuffer it. This was the language of the bleffed Jefus; and as he fpoke, fo he acted. The command to love our enemies, to forgive them that injure us, and to pray for them that defpitefully use us and perfecute us, hath been reckoned a hard faying, an objection against Christianity never to be answered. But by whom is this efteemed fo unreasonable? One would think only by fuch as have not read, or do not believe, or, at best do not confider, the history of our Saviour's paffion. Other anfwers might be returned; but, waving them, let us leave his example, particularly when he was on the crofs, to filence this objection against his precepts:-Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (z): the best excufe that could poffibly be made in their favour; and accompanied with a prayer, which, from fuch a person, and in fuch circumstances, did not, and could not fail of fuccefs. What filial truft did he exercise in God, at a time when the whole world was turned against him, and God himself had withdrawn the ufual mani (u) Phil. ii. 5.-8. (y) Heb. x. 7. feftations feftations of his prefence! My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me (a)? He ftill calls him his God, not quitting his hold of him; and breathes out his holy foul into the bofom of his love, Father, into thy hands I commend my fpirit (b). So fhould we learn to maintain a humble hope in God, when the scene of providence looks moft dark and melancholy; and be fo far from judging of our interest in the divine favour by outward events, as not to conclude any thing against ourselves, merely from the want of thofe fenfible refreshments and exultations of spirit which we may have fometimes experienced. What good people call spiritual defertion, is many times nothing more than a depression and sadness of mind; an interruption, not in the life and activity of their graces, but in the comforts afforded by them: fomewhat of the fame kind with that eclipfe which our Saviour fuffered in his last hours, but vaftly fhort of it in degree. We should, moreover, regard Chrift's dying behaviour, as finishing the example of his life. Were we only to judge of him by his death, we might from thence form a pretty certain conjecture of what his life had been, as from the manner of his life nothing else could be expected but fuch a death; a death by which he glorified God, and instructed and edified mankind. We fee one and the fame inward principle of love to that which is good exerting itself with a most vigorous influence, and perfect uniformity, in all he did, and all (a) Matth. xxvii. 46. (b) Luke xxiii. 46. he he fuffered. He had long before invited the world to learn of him meekness and lowliness of mind; and all the difference in this refpect between the close of his life, and the rest of it, was, that his fufferings being then more. grievous, he had an opportunity to fhew thefe virtues in a fairer light than they had ever appeared in before. He had always gone up and down doing good; and as his life, fo his death, was directed to the benefit of mankind. The spirit of piety and devotion that animated him was remarkable; his foul was always on the wing; and what time he could borrow from the offices of friendship, and kindness, and inftruction towards men, he spent in prayer to God: and the fupport he had from hence, and the great advantage it was of to him in the last and darkest scene of his life, is as easily conceivable: Father, the hour is I have glorified thee on earth; I have finished the work which thou hast given me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own felf, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was (c). The holy life which he had led, and the glory that was to follow, brightened the gloomy path which his foul then trod. How he stood affected to the world and all its enjoyments, he had fhewn all along before: Being rich, for our fakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich (d); and not think the happiness of life to confift in the abundance of the things which a man posses come. (c) John xvii. 1. 4. 5. (d) 2 Cor. vii. 9. fes, fes, or that this world is the proper abode of felicity and he ended a poor and mean, but not inglorious life, with a painful and fhameful death; that we by him may be taught how to get above the love of the one, and the fear of the other. He pleafed not himself; was not guilty of fenfual indulgencies; did not form his conduct upon fancy, or cuftom, or paffion; preferred heaven, from whence he came, to earth, whither he defcended only on a vifit of compaffion; behaved gravely, usefully, and holily; and, like the setting fun, appeared greatest at the end of his course. "O Jefus, I now fee what I have to do "when I fhew forth thy death in thy fupper! "I am to contemplate the heavenly virtues "and graces that then fhone forth in thee, "after having been exhibited in the whole "courfe of thy life, and to excite and oblige myself to imitate them. I am determined "to follow thee, though it be at a long di"ftance between; and shall make it my am"bition to resemble thee in every part of my 66 behaviour, whether towards God, towards men, or with regard to myself. Was it "ufual in the primitive church, when they commemorated the deaths of the martyrs, 66 to recite their laudable actions, and worthy “qualities? I will be thankful for their examples, and those of all other good men; "and be followers of them as far forth as they were fo of my Saviour, but no fur❝ther. Thy example, O moft holy Jefus, "is that which I intend to have continually "before "before me; and while I behold thy body hanging on the cross, I will endeavour to copy and describe the amiable virtues of thy "foul upon my own! My aim fhall be to be crucified to the world by thy cross, and to "have the world crucified to me (e); to be "zealously affected in that which is good, "and meekly patient under affliction and "trouble; to be actuated by the fame fpirit, "and to live and die like thee." IV. TH HE death of Chrift may be confidered as a demonftration of the most astonishing love that ever was, both of the Father and of the Son; of the Father, in giving his Son to die for us; and of the Son of God, who fo freely offered himself.-God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life (f). And whereas it is the obfervation of our Lord, that greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend (g), God hath herein commended his love to us, that while we were yet finners, Chrift died for us; that we who had been enemies, might be reconciled to God by the death of his Son (h). We fee the greatness of this love in the greatnefs or dignity of the person suffering, and (g) John xv. 12. (b) Rom, v. 8.-10. (e) Gal. vi. 14. (f) John iii. 16, |