this Scene lies fo open to our View, it shews great Perverseness of Mind, and a base ungenerous Difpofition, to shut our Eyes upon it, and to harden our Hearts against the Impretiions of fo much Kindness, and to amute ourselves with curious Inquiries into the hidden Reason of this myfterious Love. What is it that your Lord requires of you, but to love and to obey him? What greater Inducement can you have to both than this, that he first loved you, and laid down his Life for you? Could you give ten thousand Reasons for the Expediency of his fo doing, yet ftill your Love and your Obedience would stand upon the fame Bottom, that Chrift died, that you might live. What Purpose then of Religion would it ferve, to know thefe hidden Things of God? Knowledge will fave no Man. And who would not chufe rather to be found in the Number of: the most ignorant Lovers of Chrift, and his Word, than among

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in your Repentance, and be glad to know that God will receive you, if you return from the Evil of your Ways? Go, learn to reason of St. Paul: If God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how will be not with him alfo freely give us all Things?

Thus far then, that is, as far as we are concerned to go, our Knowledge is clear and distinct, and the Sufferings of Christ afford us fuch an Argument for Love and Obedience, as the weakest Man must understand, and the wifest must adore.

But farther: Though we cannot enter into the hidden Wisdom of God, and fee the Reasons which made it neceffary for Christ to suffer; yet if we confider his Sufferings with refpect to ourselves, we may discern many wife Ends of Providence in this Difpenfation.

Alcoran of Mahomet have the fame Date. But what room is there for these Jealoufies with refpect to the Chriftian Religion? What Advantage did Chrift, or his Followers, make of the Gospel? The Master lived in Poverty, and the Disciples in Diftrefs: He ended his Life upon the Crofs, they theirs by fundry Kinds of Death. Nor was he disappointed in meeting with this Ufage: He knew before that it was ordained for him; and it was one great Part of his Bufinefs to prepare his Difciples to follow his Example, by acquainting them long before of the Afflictions which both he and they were to endure. Some perhaps will fufpect there was no Wisdom in this; and all I think muft own, that there was no worldly Wisdom in it. Had our Lord come in the Form of a temporal Prince, furrounded with Power and Majefty, often had we heard before now of his Cunning and his Policy, and been told, that our Religion was more nearly allied to this World than the other. But now the Gospel stands clear of all these Objections, from which perhaps nothing could have purged it but the Blood of its Divine Author.

Secondly, With regard to our Lord's be ing an Example of Holiness and Obedience,

fet before us for our Inftruction and Imitation. His Sufferings render the Pattern perfect, and fhew his Virtues in their trueft Luftre, and at the fame Time filence the Pleas which Laziness or Self-Love would otherwise have fuggefted. Had he lived in worldly Profperity, and found all Things easy about him, let his Virtues have been ever so confpicuous, his Example would have been extended but a little way. Perhaps poor Men, and unfortunate, would have upbraided the rich and profperous for not following the Copy fet before them; but they would have thought their own hard Circumstances a fufficient Excufe for not attempting it. But what Pretence is there now left for any Mortal? Are you more wretched than your Mafter? Are you poor, and therefore discontented? Look to him, who had not where to lay his Head, and yet was eafy, and paid a chearful Obedience to his God. Are you provoked by ill Usage to forget the peaceful Duties of Charity? Are you hurried to Revenge by uncommon Injuries? And can you at the fame Time think yourself a Difciple of the bleffed Jefus, who even upon the Crofs, and under the bitter Agonies of Death, prayed for his Perfecutors; Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?

S 3

Thirdly,

Thirdly, With regard to his Divine Milfion. His Sufferings were an evident Token, that the Hand of God was with him. He only can produce Strength out of Weakness, and knows how to confound the mighty Things of the World by Things which are of no Account. Power, we know, especially if attended with happy Incidents, can produce great Things; but a weak poor Man is fo eafily oppreffed, that this before us is perhaps the only Instance in which a whole Nation ever rose to suppress one. And what was it that enabled him to withstand the Rage of the People, and the Malice of the Priefts, fupported by the Power of the Government? When his Life was fought, he was hid in the midst of the Crowd, and was covered with Darkness at Noon-day; but, when his Time was come, he fell an eafy Victim: But his Death, like Sampson's, was more victorious than his Life; in this only it differed, Sampfon by his Death destroyed his Enemies, but the Enemies of Christ were by his Death redeemed.

Add to this the Evidence of Prophecy, which is fo much the stronger, by how much the weaker Chrift was: So admirably has the Wisdom of God difplayed itself in