Nothing less than his death, could have made them duly fenfible of their mifery, nothing lefs, could have relieved them from it. He was lifted up upon the cross, that by the powerful magnetism of his dying love, he might, in the hour of his grace, draw their hearts to himself. This was the defign, this was the effect of his fufferings. A crucified Saviour, though a ftumbling-block to the felf-righteous, and foolishness to vain reafoners, was, to them, the power and the wifdom of God, for falvation. They looked unto him, and were enlightened, they trufted in him and were not ashamed. By faith in his name, they obtained peace with God, they renounced the ways of fin, they warred the good warfare, they overcame the world, and were, at length, made more than conquerors. For his fake, they endured the crofs, and defpifed the fhame. They met with bad treatment from the world, but it was from the world that crucified him. While they were here, their characters were obfcured, by their own imperfections, and by the mifreprefentations and reproaches of their enemies. But now their reproach is re* John xii. 32. moved, and they shine, each one like the fun, in the kingdom of their Father * What an immenfe conftellation of funs! This their full falvation was the joy fet before him, for the fake of which, he became obedient unto death, even the death of the crofs. And now they fee him as he is, they afcribe all their victories and honours to him, and unite in one fong of endless praise, to the Lamb that was flain. II. Their praises are heightened, when they confider, How he was flain. He did not die a natural death. He was flain. Nor did he fall, like a hero, by an honourable wound in the field of battle. The impreffion which the death of the late General Wolfe made upon the public, is not yet quite forgotten. He conquered for us, but it coft him his life. But he died honourably, and was lamented by his country. Not fo, the Lamb of God. He died the death of a flave, of a malefactor. Cruelty, malice, and contempt, combined to give his fufferings every poffible aggravation. And after he was flain, very few laid it to heart. The world went on as it did before, as though * Matt. xiii. 43. nothing nothing extraordinary had happened. But on this dark ground, the perfections of God were displayed in their fullest luftre. And they are the perfections of the great Redeemer, and therefore distinctly ascribed to him by the angels, in the words which follow-Power, and wisdom, and riches, and firength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Though each of these words have a distinct sense, a nicety in defining them, and stating their precife meaning, is of lefs importance, than to feel the combined efficacy of them all, to impress our hearts with fentiments of reverence, confidence, and love. The fulness of expreffion may teach us, that every kind of excellence, is the indubitable right and poffeffion of the Lamb that was flain. He is worthy to have them all attributed to him, in the moft abfolute fenfe, and confequently worthy of our adoration, dependance, and praise. 1. Power. It is fpoken once, yea twice we have heard the fame, that power belongeth unto God *. It belongeth to him eminently and exclufively. All the power of creatures iş derived from him. Such is the * Pf. lxii. 11. power of the the Lamb. He ftiles himself i wavloxpalog * The Omnipotent, the Upholder and Poffeffor of all things. He exerciseth this power in the human nature. He doeth what he pleafeth in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or fay unto him, What doest thou? He has, therefore, all-fufficiency, and uncontroulable authority, for the difcharge of his office, as the Mediator and Head of his church. The divine perfections, being infinite, are not distinct in themselves, though the fcripture, in condefcenfion to our weakness, authorizes us to speak of them, as distinguishable. God is one. And the Power which can preserve and govern the world, involves in the idea of it, every other excellence, which are separately mentioned in this passage. 2. Wisdom. He is the only wife God, and our Saviour. His knowledge is perfect, his plan is perfect. In himself he is effentially the wisdom of God §, and he is our wisdom **. It is life eternal to know the only true God ++, and, therefore, it is life *Rev. i. 8, 11. + Matt. xxviii. 18. § Prov. viii. 22. Jude xxv. ++ John xvii. 3. Dan. iv. 35. ** I Cor. i. 30. eternal eternal to know Jefus Christ whom he bath fent. For he is the only way, and the only door to this knowledge; no one can come unto Ged, or attain to any just conceptions of him, but in and by the Son of his love, who fo perfectly reprefents God to us, is fo completely the brightness of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, that whofo hath feen him, hath feen the Father *. By him is opened to us, the unfearchable wisdom of the divine counfels, 'particularly, in the great work of redemption. No one hath feen God at any time, the only begotten Son, rebo is in the bosom of the Father, he hath revealed him . It is by wisdom commu icated from him, that his people are made wife untó falvation. Though there are few fcholars and philofophers among them, and many of them are defpifed for their ignorance and weakness, yet in truth, they have all a good understanding, for they know the Lord and his will; they know wherein their proper happiness confifts, and how it is to be obtained. They are inftructed, how to walk and to please God, how to bear afflictions with patience, and to meet death with com John xiv. 9. † John i. 18. John xv. 15. pofure. |