posed himself to the dangers of the deep, to the chains of captivity, to the sword of the persecutor, to the derision and hatred of Jews and Gentiles. Accordingly, he met with this return, which he here mentions as being sometimes made to superior goodness; for we read in the sixteenth chapter of this epistle, that he found persons, who, for his life, would have laid down their own.

The Apostle, also, in these verses, alludes to some illustrious actions performed by the Romans, to whom he addresses this epistle. The love of their country was the darling passion of that great people. All the soul went out in this generous ardour, and every private affection flowed in the channel of the public welfare. Judge what a strong hold it must have taken of the heart, when it glowed even in the female breast; when the wife encouraged the husband, and the mother exhorted the son, to die for their country. It was a principle in the breast of every Roman, that he owed his life to his country. This being the spirit of the people, gave birth to many illustrious and heroic actions. The spirit of patriotism glowed among the people for many ages of the republic; one hero sprung from the ashes of another; and great men arose from age to age, who devoted themselves for the public good. These being the most celebrated actions in the history of mankind, the Apostle here compares them with the death of Jesus Christ. Following the train of thought suggested by the Apostle, I shall show you the infinite superiority of that love, which prompted Jesus to die for the sins of the world, to that patriotism, which prompted the heroes and great men of old to die for their friends or for their country.

I. Those, who devoted themselves to death for their friends or their country, submitted to a fate, which they must one day have suffered: but Jesus Christ, who is the true God, and possesseth eternal life, submitted to death. for our redemption.

We are all born mortal creatures. Sprung from the dust, we return to the dust again. The sentence of the Lord is passed upon all flesh, and there is no exemption from the law of mortality. We know not how soon our last hour may come. The darts of death are continually on the wing; the arrow of destruction flieth by night, and smiteth at noon-day; victims are daily falling at our right hand, and at our left, and we know not how soon we too

may fall a sacrifice. He. therefore, who exposes himself to danger, or devotes himself to death for the good of others, only anticipates the evil day, only resigns a life which he must soon part with, and submits to a doom, which, sooner or later, he must lay his account to endure. But Jesus Christ was the King eternal and immortal. His outgoings were from everlasting, and he is God blessed for ever. He would have remained in himself, happy in the contemplation and enjoyment of his own perfections, happy in the administration and government of the moral world, though he had never cast an eye of pity upon mortal man. He would have inhabited the praises of eternity, though man had never been redeemed. Yet, for our sakes, he left the glories of the heavens, he veiled his Divinity in a form of flesh, he took our nature with all its infirmities upon him, he submitted to every affliction which embitters human life, and he suffered an excruciating, an ignominious, and an accursed death. For the salvation and happiness of the world which he had made, the King of kings appeared in the form of a servant, and the Lord of life was crucified at Jerusalem. A crown of thorus was put on that head, where the diadem of nature was wont to sit. Where is the deed of human virtue, that can stand in comparison with this meritorious exertion of the Divine benevolence? All the perfection of created nature fades before it, and is but a foil to set off the brightness of redeeming love.

II. Those among the sons of men, who devoted themselves to death for the good of others, made the sacrifice for their friends, for those by whom they were beloved; but Jesus died for his enemies.

We are united to our friends by the strongest ties of affection; we are interested in all that befals them, and adopt their joys or their sorrows. Long habits of attachment, and a mutual intercourse of good offices, draw close the cords of friendship, and make them twine with every string of life. Hence we are fellow sufferers with our friends in distress; we are afflicted in all their afflictions; so that suffering a great temporal evil for them is in reality removing a load from our own minds. Thus strongly are we attached to our friends, nor is the charm less which binds us to the community. The sacred name of our country strikes us with veneration; we feel an enthusiasm for our native land; when it is in danger, hardships are cheerfully

undergone, and death scarce appears an evil in such a glorious cause. Such inducements there are to him, who dies for his friends or his country. But Jesus died for the redemption of his enemies, for those who threw off their allegiance to him, who rebelled against his authority, and rose up in arms against their benefactor. Their groans would never have reached his ear, nor afflicted his heart, had he not graciously inclined to sympathize. The misery of mankind would never have disturbed the happiness of the Divine nature, would never have thrown a cloud over the serenity of the heavens, nor made a pause in the alleluiahs of the blessed, had he not chosen to bear their sorrows. It was unmerited goodness, it was sovereign mercy, it was pure benevolence, it was love truly divine, that moved him to interpose in our behalf. He saw the race of men on the very brink of destruction; he saw the bottomless pit just opening to swallow them up, and, in the moment of danger, the Redeemer appeared, gracious to pity, mighty to save. A cloud had long been gathering over the nations, the hand of the Omnipotent was. stretched out in wrath, the thunder of his power was ready to burst over a devoted world, when the Patron and Intercessor of the human race stepped in, and stayed the avenging arm with the words of his mercy: "Lo I come to do thy will. Sacrifice and burnt-offerings thou dost not desire. On me let thine anger fall. Let me die that these may live."

III. He who dies a martyr for the public good, departs with honour; but Jesus made his departure with ignominy and shame.

It is honourable, it is glorious, to die for the public good.. He, who falls a martyr to the happiness of mankind, is supported by the native tortitude of the soul, is carried. forward by the consciousness of a good cause, is encouraged with the admiration and applause of the world, and becomes famous to all succeeding times. To him the temple of fame spontaneous opens its gate, his name is repeated with applause, honours are paid to his memory, and he is the heir of perpetual praise. Circumstances of such a nature take away the terror of death. The secret consciousness of a great soul, the approach of an event, which is so glorious in itself, and so beneficial to the world, the amicipation of the praises of succeeding times, exalt the man, and fill him with the elevation and maguanimity

of virtue. Few enjoyments in life can be compared with a death so glorious. But Jesus Christ submitted to the ignominious death of the cross. The greatest trial and exercise of virtue is, when an innocent man submits to the imputation of a crime, that others may be free from the punishment. This our Lord did. In his life he was branded with the blackest names, and accused of the most flagitious crimes,-branded with the names of publican and sinnner, accused of associating with the profligate, and of being in compact with the powers of darkness. Bat, at his latter end, in a peculiar manner, he endured the shamc. He was betrayed like an impostor, by one of his own disciples, apprehended like a robber, by a band of soldiers, led like a malefactor through the streets of Jerusalem, nailed like a murderer to the accursed tree, and in the sight of all Israel died the death of a traitor and a slave, that he might atone for the real guilt of men. In all these respects the merit af Jesus was infinitely superior to the heroism of men. As the heavens are higher than the earth, as the Most High God excels the offspring of the dust, so much superior was his love to their beneficence.

To conclude, Let me ask you, my brethren, what impression does the love of Jesus make upon your hearts, what influence does it exert upon your lives? they, whose minds are dazzled with the ideas of false glory, with arms and conquests, and fields of battle, and triumphal processions, and songs of victory, may not be disposed to relish those acts of heroism, which have nothing of the sword in them. But to the mind that is freed from vulgar prejudice, and acquainted with true glory, the triumphs of Jesus will appear the greater, that they are the triumphs of peace, that they were not obtained at the expence of slaughtered thousands, nor erected on the ruin of nations, but rose on the basis of general happiness, and everlasting life to all good men.

Are you, then, actuated with a proper sense of gratitude to this Captain of our salvation? The temporal hero and deliverer is received with a tribute of applause: every heart beats with admiration, and every tongue is vocal in his praise. Let us also celebrate the Prince of Peace, the Redeemer of our fallen race, who delivered us from everlasting wrath, and opened a way to the heavens by the blood of his cross. Beautified with his salvation, let us

rejoice in the Saviour, saying with the Apostle, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Jesus Christ." Let us also love Him who first loved us. Let us give the chief place in our hearts to that Divine Friend of mankind, whose affection to us was stronger than death.

SERMON XXVI.

PROVERBS xii. 26.

The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour.

THE

HE sentiments of men concerning virtue, and their own particular practice, form a very strange and striking contrast. Notwithstanding their own irregular or imperfect conduct, a general feeling, with regard to morality, pervades the human species. Philosophers have differed about the origin of moral distinctions, and delivered various theories concerning virtue; but the people, who judge from their feelings, have no system but one; and, whenever right or wrong become the subject of decision, if the fact be fully explained, the voice of mankind is uniform and constant.

Without this moral sense or sentiment, the question with regard to virtue had never been started at all, nor exercised the ingenuity of the greatest and best spirits in every age of the world. For, independent of the national religions, men arose among the heathens who strove to improve or reform their countrymen; the lights of one age shone to another; the great and the good not only left their example, but lifted up their voice to ages which were

to come.

Religion gives its powerful sanction to the maxims of morality, and this volume was written to republiish that law which is engraven on the heart.

The book, from which these words are taken, was the work of a great king, who sometimes left the throne to adorn it the more, and, retiring from the splendid follies of a court, consecrated his hours to the benefit of all pos