and casts gloom and darkness over the mind; when we see that its natural tendency is to do the very reverse; to provide a remedy for the most tormenting evils of the human heart, and to spread over the soul peace, serenity, and happiness? Look at the proud, the selfish, or the covetous man, and see what a miserable being he is. Tossed by tumultuous passions, he is "like the troubled sea, which cannot rest." Never pleased, never satisfied, never contented, what can he know of inward peace? Compare the disturbed and agitated state of his mind with the calm and tranquil feelings expressed by the Apostle in the text, and judge whether Religion really makes men unhappy. If you allow, as all must do, that a "Contented mind is a continual feast," surely you must also allow, that the same thing, which in the highest degree promotes and increases true contentment, cannot be destructive to happiness. Cease then to make assertions in support of which you cannot offer any solid argument; assertions, which facts and experience daily contradict. Cease to expose the ignorance, cease to betray the malignity of the carnal mind, by ascribing to religion effects which it never did, which it never can produce; and which your own conscience, if fairly consulted, will tell you that it never does produce. Rather seek yourselves to become really religious so shall you know, by your own experience, the falsehood and injustice, of your charges. Instead of speaking evil of religion, make trial of her ways, and you shall find them "ways of pleasantness and peace."

2. I would take occasion, from the Truth before us, to stir up real Christians to a more faithful and diligent

1

improvement of their privileges. It sometimes bap pens, that persons who own and feel the power of religion, and on the whole, live under its influence, yet are far from shewing the same mind and temper with St. Paul in the text. When disappointed or afflicted, they betray a repining. and an impatient spirit; and prove, occasionally at least, that they have not as yet learned, in whatsoever state they are, therewith to be content. Now whence does this arise? It is not that Religion is unable to do for them what it did for the Apostle. It is not that Religion cannot, every where and in all things instruct them, as it instructed him, both to be full and to be hungry, "both to abound and to suffer need." But the fact is, they do not give themselves up to religion so decidedly as St. Paul did. They do not suffer Religion to produce in them all those effects which it produced in the Apostle; and which if: permitted, it would produce in them. Sin is not mortified to so great an extent as it might be. Pride, selfpreference, and covetousness, are not broken and weakened as they should be. Christian principles are not kept in so lively exercise as they ought to be. Hence it comes to pass, that at times the flesh gets the better of the spirit, and a discontented temper prevails. But, my Brethren, this ought not to be. Let me earnestly exhort such of you as answer this description, to know your privileges better, and to turn them to a better ac- count. Let Religion have a more decided influence on your heart. Call forth your principles into a more lively exercise. Lay the axe to the root of all your evil and selfish inclinations. By failing to do this so VOL. II. 5*

resolutely and effectually as you might, you are depriving yourselves of much solid peace and comfort; and are keeping back from Religion, much of that credit and honour, which she expects at your hands, and which it is your duty to reflect on her. Awake then from this injurious and disgraceful slumber. Trim your lamps. Study more deeply in the School of Christ; and in your lives shew forth more clearly the praises of Him, "who hath called you out of darkness "into his marvellous light."

SERMON IV.

JESUS ENDURING THE CROSS AND DESPISING
THE SHAME.

HEBREWS, XII. 2.

Who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the Cross, despising the Shame.

IF

F we should see a person undergoing very severe trials, and bearing the most unprovoked indignities with fortitude, meekness, and constancy; we should be filled with high admiration of his character. But if we should discover, that we ourselves had a personal concern in his sufferings; that he was undergoing them on our account, from the most generous motive, in or

for us

der to save us from some heavy calamity or to procure some unexpected good; our admiration would be heightened into gratitude; not without some mixture of regret and self-reproach, that we were the occasion of so much suffering.-Such are the feelings, though in the highest possible degree, which the sight of Christ crucified ought to excite in us. We should regard it with the most admiring gratitude, and the deepest self-condemnation. God grant that these feelings may be stirred up and strengthened in us, while I discourse to you on the passage in the text: "Who, for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame." I need not tell you that it is Jesus Christ, of whom the Apostle here speaks. All, who hear the words, will readily apply them to Him. Therefore without farther preface I shall lead you to consider three things, as they are set before us in the text.

I. What Jesus Christ suffered.
H. How He suffered.

III. Why He suffered thus.

I. We read in the text, that Jesus Christ suffered the Cross and the Shame. Our Saviour's life, from the Stable to the Grave, was a life of suffering. But that which completed and filled up the whole was the Cross. It was the last, and bitterest part of that cup, which He undertook to drink. It was the lowest, deepest point of degradation to which He was abased. Hence in that description of his wonderful humiliation in the second chapter of the Philippians, it is said, that "being found in fashion as a mau, He humbled Himself and became

"That

obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He, who was " in the Form of God," having taken on Him"The Form of a servant," should so humble himself as to become obedient unto death, was truly wonderful; but that this death should be even the death of the cross, was astonishing indeed. There is great force in the expression, even the death of the Cross;" which shews, that there were some circumstances in that. death which were peculiar to itself, and which madeit beyond every other death, dreadful and degrading. Let us see what these circumstances were.

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In the first place. it was the most painful of deaths. It subjected the sufferer to excessive pain and torture. This was so well known, that the Romans derived from this very punishment, the word which, in their language, expressed the greatest degree of pain: and we, borrowing the word from them, call such a pain an excruciating pain; that is, a pain like that which was felt on the cross. Nor have we any word in our language, more descriptive of violent agony, than this. Nay, so dreadful was the pain of dying on the cross that it was accounted a peculiar act of mercy in the judge to permit the Criminal to be killed, before his body should be crucified. Indeed, the very nature of the punishment shews how excessive must have been the pain attending it. That the hands and feet, which being full of nerves, are some of the most feeling parts of the human body, should be pierced through, and fastened to the wood with iron spikes: that then, by the sudden raising up of the Cross, and the fixing of the foot of it in the earth, the whole weight of the body should