that I have all along confidered Chrift as God and man, in one perfon, our Mediator. I am fenfible, however, he could only fuffer in his human nature, and indeed became man that he might be capable of fuffering. But it was the inconceivable union of the the human nature with the divine, from which he derived his glory, which gave him strength for fuffering, and made his fufferings of value fufficient for the purchase of our redemption.

I come, now, in the last place, to make fome practical improvement of what hath been faid. And,

ft, We are, here, called to admire and adore the unfearchable wisdom, and unspeakable love of God. There is a boundless depth in all the works and ways of God, and particularly here. Upon a flight view, we may be apt to take offence at the cross; to hide our faces from him; to be disgusted at an incarnate God, the Lord of glory, despised and trampled on by a proud Pharifee; the Creator of the ends of the earth standing at the judgment-feat of a weak mortal; and the Author of life giving up the ghost. But, upon a nearer inspection, must we not admire the harmony of the divine attributes, in our redemption, upon this plan? that these perfections, which feem to limit each other in their exercife, fhould be, in conjunction, more illuftriously displayed: that God's infinite holinefs, and abhorrence of fin, nay, his impartial juftice, fhould be more difplayed in the pardon than the condemnation of the finner that fo fignal a defeat fhould be given to the enemy of fouls, even when he feemed exulting in the fuccefs of his defigns: that our Lord, by death,

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fhould destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and, by being lifted up from the earth, as unworthy of a place on it, he should draw all men unto him, joining thus the extremities of glory and bafenefs, power and humiliation, and travelling in the greatness of his strength. This, without doubt, fhall afford fubject for the adoring inquiry of glorified faints to eternal ages; and we ought to begin it here, faying with the Pfalmift, Pfal. lxxii. 17. 'His ⚫ name shall endure for ever: his name shall be con'tinued as long as the fun and men shall be bleffed in him all nations shall call him blessed!'

2dly, Suffer me to improve the subject, by shewing the guilt and danger of all who are not reconciled to God, especially thofe, who, by continuing in unbelief and impenitence, fhall die in that condition. There is nothing we can more justly infer from what hath been faid, than the holiness of God, and his deteftation of fin. Such is the hardness of heart of many finners, and fuch their partiality to themselves, that it is a matter of the utmost difficulty to convince them either of their guilt or danger, But, if you have any belief in the truths of the gofpel, if you believe the certainty of that tranfaction which we are this day to commemorate, with what fear and trembling ought you to reflect upon the juftice of God? If he punished fin fo feverely in the perfon of his own Son, how fhall he punish it in the perfons of the finally impenitent? If a temporary fuffering of the wrath of God was fo terrible to him, who travelled through it in the greatnefs of his ftrength, what fhall it be to thofe who fhall ly un

der it, to eternity, without the leaft ray of hope or confolation? what fhall it be to those who shall have nothing to fupport them in their unchangeable abode, but an accufing confcience, and despair of mercy?

I cannot help obferving, hear it, O finners, and tremble! that a defpifed gospel shall be an aggra vation of the guilt, and an addition to the mifery, of all to whom it was offered, Heb. ii. 2. For, if 'the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every ' tranfgreffion and difobedience received a just re compence of reward, how fhall we escape if we ne'glect fo great falvation?-Heb. x. 28, 29. He that, ' defpifed Mofes' law died, without mercy, under two or three witneffes: of how much forer punishment, fuppofe ye, fhall he be thought worthy, who hath 'troden under foot the Son of God, and hath count⚫ed the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was • fanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite

unto the Spirit of grace?' The severity of the punishment of finners rejecting the gospel shall bear a just proportion to the love and mercy of God manifested in that difpenfation. If thefe are justly called unfpeakably great, the other must be inconceiveably dreadful. Every drop of that blood, which was fpilt in behalf of finners, shall be as oil to the flames, that confume the impenitent, and make them burn, with greater fiercenefs, to all the ages of eternity. Remember, I befeech you, that our Saviour fhall continue in the character of adminiftrator of the covenant of grace, till the final doom of finners be ordained. The fame perfon, whofe foul was

made an offering for fin, and who groaned on Calvary, fhall, one day, come in his own and in his Father's glory, attended with his angels, as the minifters of his juftice; then every eye shall fee him, and thofe also that pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth fhall wail because of him.' Then how shall his enemies ftand before him, when those who came to apprehend him fell to the ground, at his word, even in his humiliation? Thofe who obftinately refufe to be the trophies of his grace shall then be the monuments of his vengeance. It is very remarkable, that as the nation of the Jews were a people uncommonly favoured of God, particularly by the enjoyment of the perfonal miniftry of Chrift, and hearing the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth; fo, when they had filled up the meafure of their iniquities, by rejecting him, the judg ment that fell upon them was the most signal, and terrible, and lafting, that ever was inflicted on any people. In this they were an example of the fate of a whole world of finners; and, indeed, the deftruction of Jerufalem is described in such terms as do naturally fuggest to us the final judgment of the world, and teach us what to expect, when the Lord • Jefus fhall be revealed from heaven, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and * that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.'

• He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.' Now the Saviour is in the posture of an humble fupplicant, standing at the door of many hard hearts, and knocking, and asking admiffion. Now does he earnestly beseech you, by his mercies, to be reconciled to God;

77 but then shall he put on the frowns and terrors of a judge; and how fhall they be able to lift up their eyes towards him, who now trample upon his love? See a reprefentation of this matter, Rev. vi. 14, 15, 16, 17. And the heaven departed as a fcroll when ⚫ it is rolled together; and every mountain and island ⚫ were moved out of their places: and the kings of • the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man, hid them'felves in the dens, and in the rocks of the moun. tains; and faid to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that fitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come; and who fhall be able to ftand!' It is remarkable, that the wrath here fpoken of, is called the wrath of the Lamb. Strange expreffion indeed! but strongly signifying, that his prefent meeknefs, and patience, and fuffering, shall inflame and exafperate his future vengeance. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, I would befeech every finner in this affembly, to confider the things that belong to his peace, that the same strength and power of our Redeemer, that was evident in his fuffering in our ftead, that is evident in working out the falvation of his own people, fhall also be evident in the judgment of his enemies. Pfal. ii 11, 12.

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trem

bling. Kifs the Son, left he be angry, and ye pe'rish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little: Bleffed are all they that put their truft in him.'