be him, which ought to have been their rule: for they SERM. greffion, and make an end of fin, and make in"terceffion for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness." So that if they had not entertained a very groundless and carnal conceit concerning him, they could not fo widely have mistaken the ancient prophefies of him, which ought to have guided them in these matters, and which they might have seen all plainly fulfilled in the person of our SAVIOUR. II. The predictions concerning him do moft exprefly foretel his death and fufferings, and that with very particular circumstances: David in the xxiid Pfalm: Ifaiah quite throughout his liiid chapter. And Daniel does particularly point out the time when he should be cut off. So that they had all the reason in the world to expect that the MESSIAS, when he came, should be "defpifed and rejected of men, "a man of forrow and acquainted with grief," that he fhould be fcourged and buffeted, oppreffed and afflicted," and at laft" cut off out of the land "of the living." Nay, if it had been otherwise, they had had no reason to have owned him for the true MESSIAS. " III. As for figns to evidence him to be the Son of GOD; though God did not gratify their curiosity as to the nature and manner of them, yet he gave the greatest teftimonies that ever were given to any prophet, and abundantly enough to fatisfy any rea fonable SERM. fonable man, that he was "a teacher come from God." CXCII. Indeed his miracles were not generally fo prodigious and amazing: but they were many and publick, they were useful and beneficial to mankind; and for that reason, more likely to come from GoD. He did not call for fire from heaven to deftroy his enemies; but he gave fight to the blind, and hearing to the deaf, and health to those that were fick of the most dangerous and inveterate diseases, and (which was always reckon'd among the greatest and moft undoubted kind of miracles) life to the dead. And when he himself was put to death by the malice of the Jews, though he did not "come down from the "crofs," and was not refcued from his fufferings by an immediate hand from heaven, to triumph over the malice and cruelty which they were exercising upon him, (which was the miracle they required to be shown) yet GOD was not wanting to give testimony to him in a moft remarkable manner, by prodigies which immediately follow'd his death; in the ftrange darkness which came upon the land; in the terrible earthquake which rent the veil of the temple, and tore the rocks afunder; in the opening of the graves, and the rifing of the dead; and laftly, in his own miraculous refurrection, the third day after he was crucified: fo that here was no fign wanting in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, to convince their obftinacy and unbelief, unless it were that very fign which they demanded. GOD did enough to fatisfy every man's reafon; and he is not wont to gratify the humour and curiofity of men. If men be so unreasonable as to expect this from him, GoD lets fuch men continue in their wilful blindness and infidelity. Secondly, Secondly, neither had the heathen philofophers SERM, reason, upon account of the story of our SAVIOUR'S CXCII. fufferings, to look upon the gofpel as fo abfurd and unreasonable a thing; as will, I hope, evidently appear, if you will be pleased to confider with me thefe following particulars : I. That there is nothing more inculcated in the writings of the wifeft and moft famous of the heathen philofophers than this, that worldly greatness and profperity is not to be admir'd, but defpis'd by a truly wife man. Ariftotle in his Ethicks, makes it the property of a magnanimous and great fpirit, "not to admire greatnefs and power, and victory, " and riches." So that according to their own principles, our SAVIOUR was not to be despised upon account of his meannefs and fufferings. He might be a great prophet, and come from God, though he enjoy'd nothing of worldly greatnefs and prosperity. II. They tell us likewife, that men may be very virtuous and good, and dearly beloved of GoD, and yet be liable to great miferies and fufferings. And to this purpose I could bring you almost innumerable teftimonies out of the books of the philofophers. Max. Tyrius the platonist, speaking of Ulyffes, fays, that "the gods forced him to wander, and beg, and wear rags, and fuffered him to be reproach'd and "revil'd, for the love and friendship that they bare "to him." Epictetus, a poor flave, but inferior to none of all the philofophers, for true virtue and wifdom, "thanks the gods for his mean condition," and fays," he did not believe himself to be one jot "the less beloved by them, for that reason; and "that he was not caft into a state of poverty and ❝contempt, SERM." contempt, because the gods hated him, but that CXCII." he might be fit to be a witness to others." 66 III. They tell us likewise, that a state of affliction and fuffering is fo far from rendring a man unfit to reform the world, and to be an example of virtue, that none fo fit as those that are in fuch circumstances. Arrian, in his differtations of Epictetus, defcribing "a man fit to reform the world," whom he calls, "the apoftle and meffenger, the minifter and preacher of GOD to mankind," gives this character of him: "he must, says he, be without house and "harbour, and deftitute of all worldly accommoda"tions;" (just as it is faid of our SAVIOUR, "that "the Son of man had not where to lay his head ;") " he must be armed with fuch a patience by the "greatest sufferings, as if he were a ftone and de"void of fenfe; he must be a fpectacle of mifery "and contempt to the world." And to mention no more, Plato in the fecond book of his commonwealth, when he would reprefent a righteous man, giving the most unquestionable testimony to the world of his virtue, "let him,' fays he, be stript of "all things in this world, except his righteousness; "let him be poor and diseased, and accounted a "wicked and unjuft man; let him be whipp'd, and " tormented, and crucified as a malefactor; and yet "all this while retain his integrity;" which does fo exactly agree with our SAVIOUR's condition, that had he not wrote before his time, one would have thought he had alluded to it. IV. As it seems very convenient, (I am not fo bold as to fay it was neceffary, and that God had no other way to bring about the salvation of men; for what are we, that we fhould prefcribe to GoD, and fet fet bounds to infinite wisdom?) I fay, as it seems SERM. very reasonable, that, in order to our falvation, the CXCII. SON of GOD, who was to be the author of it, fhould become man, both that he might be an example of holiness, and an expiation for fin; and that he fhould be born after the manner of other men, to fatisfy us, that he was really of the fame nature with us, that so he might converse more familiarly with us, and might be a more eafy, and encouraging, and imitable example of all holiness and virtue; fo likewife was it convenient that he fhould be fubject to the miferies and fufferings of our nature, that through the several states and conditions of humanity, he might have an experimental knowledge of the sufferings that humane nature is liable to; and from his own fenfe of our infirmities might be a "more merciful and compassionate high"priest." And this the apostle exprefly takes notice of, Heb. v. that it was convenient that "our "high-priest should be taken from among men,' that he might learn to be compaffionate, by knowing experimentally what it was to be tempted and afflicted; the knowledge of experience being the strongest motive and incitement to pity; and confequently to give us the greater affurance of his tender affection to us. It was of great use, that he should live in fo mean and afflicted a condition, to confound the pride, and vanity, and fantastry of the world, and to con. vince men of these two great truths, that GoD may love thofe whom he afflicts, and that men may be innocent, and virtuous, and contented, in the midst of poverty, and reproach, and fuffering. Had our bleffed SAVIOUR been a great worldly prince, VOL. X. O his |