the same resigned temper of mind, the same calm and even disposition; if he can chearfully look up to the God, whose hand is heavy upon him, and possess his soul in patience; bearing his afflictions, as the corrections of a father, without murmuring and complaining; he has then attained to the highest perfection of duty, and has learned the true and only way of deriving comfort and real blessings from the multitude of his sorrows.

The duty therefore I propose to treat of at present is that of submission to the divine will : a duty which can never at any time want arguments to recommend it, when we consider the many advantages naturally arising from the exercise of this Christian grace; but, at this season, is more particularly enforced upon us by the example of the most perfect submission in the blessed Jesus; who, under the dreadful apprehensions of what he was then going to suffer, and whilst his soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death, and he prayed to his Father, that if he were willing, he would remove the, bitter

cup from him, still maintained a most entire resignation to the divine will and pleasure, and made it the conclusion of his prayer, and the restriction of all his. petitions, "Not my will, but thine, be "done."

That we may improve by so perfect an example, it may not be improper to consider it with regard to the several particular circumstances, which recommend it to our imitation as the highest instance of submission to the divine will; and then to subjoin the many advantages arising from this duty, as arguments and motives to the practice of it. Now, if we con sider the life of the blessed Jesus from his first appearance in the world, we may justly observe, that he strictly fulfilled the emphatic prediction of the prophet Isaiah, who, in the midst of all the glorious things which he foretold of his future kingdom, expressly calls him, " a man of sorrows, " and acquainted with grief." For surely never any one was exposed to greater and severer trials, never any one bore them with such a calm and perfect resignation.

He

He came into the world in a mean and low condition, exposed to want and poverty; himself complaining, that "the "foxes have holes, and the birds of the

air have nests, but the Son of Man

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hath not where to lay his head." His person was treated with scorn and contempt, and his actions were basely misrepresented. Even that unwearied beneficence, with which he went about doing good to the souls and bodies of men, had no other effect than to expose him to the slander and insolence, the malice and rancour of his enemies. If in great compassion and tenderness of soul he saith to the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good "cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee," he 'is immediately called a blasphemer. If at any time, as the great friend and benefactor of mankind, he exerts himself in miracles of mercy and compassion, by a word healing their diseases and restoring men possessed to a right mind, instead of their grateful acknowledgments for such adorable instances of power and goodness, they give him no better character than that of a sorcerer, casting out devils by Ꭱ Ꮪ Beel

Beelzebub, the prince of devils. If again employed in his Father's business, to seek and to save that which was lost, he converses with publicans and sinners, in order to reclaim them, he is immediately reviled as 66 a glutton and wine bibber, a "friend of publicans and sinners." This was the treatment the blessed Jesus met with from his first entrance into the world. And in what manner did he behave himself under the load of so much malice and ingratitude? How did he endure all this contradiction of sinners? Composed and undisturbed, answering all their reflections in a calm and mild language, still maintaining his charitable intentions of doing good to them that want it, and patiently submitting to every difficulty that attended him in the whole course of his duty; neither reviling, when he was reviled, nor threatening, when he suffered, but committing himself to him that judgeth righteously, whose will and pleasure it was, that he should be the most perfect pattern of patience and resignation.

This

This was the behaviour of the blessed Jesus, this the temper of mind, with which he bore the perverseness and ingratitude of the people in the course of his ministry; considering it as the whole business, nay rather the joy and pleasure of his life, to do the will of his Father, and to finish his work.

But if we attend him to the last scene of his afflictions, and consider the several circumstances that preceded and accompanied his death and passion, we may observe, that as never sorrow was like unto his sorrow, so never was there any patience and submission like that, which under so severe a trial, under the greatest pain and extremity of suffering, could still express itself in terms of the most perfect resignation, "Not my will, but "thine, be done."

After a life exposed to various indignities, the malice of his enemies at last proceeded to execute their final cruelty upon him. He was accordingly apprehended as a thief and a malefactor, was betrayed