filence, working amid the ftorm which men and devils raife, and with irrefiftible energy penetrating to the very centre of a fallen world. Thus wouldst thou be raised above the common profpects of mortality. Thy tears would ceafe to flow. The feeming fufferer thou wouldst find to be a real conqueror; and instead of "My God, my Gop! why haft thou "forfaken me?" thou wouldst hear that voice which shakes the foundations of nature, and makes the pillars of heaven tremble, crying out, in the Power of his Majesty, and from the Center of his Glory, "I will ranfom them from death: I "will redeem them from the power of "the grave, O death! I will be thy "plague--O grave! I will be thy de" ftruction!" And do you think, my brethren, that all this is a vifionary scene? Heaven forbid that it should appear so to you or me! O that it might be realized, this VOL. II. X day, day, to every unexperienced heart! Daughters of Jerufalem! weep not for me, but weep for yourselves." We generally come to the house of GOD on this day, expecting to have all the foft fenfations of our nature excited, by a circumftantial detail of the affecting tranfaction, which we are now called to commemorate. There is a chord of tenderness in our hearts, which ever vibrates at a tale of woe, and gives us a sensation, which we love to indulge, because it is mournfully pleafing. But this is not Divine Grace-this is not genuine devotion-the most vicious and abandoned have been known to feel it, as intimately as the most fober and virtuous. How then are we to improve the present folemnity? Let us hear the bleffed Apoftle-" The grace of GoD "hath appeared unto all men "-for what purpofe?-to teach us, 66 that, de"nying ungodlin efs and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, righteously, " and "and godly, in this prefent world:" or, as he speaks in another place, that "the "world should be crucified unto us, " and we unto the world." Nothing can enable us to comprehend the mystery of a Crucified REDEEMER, but a previous knowledge of our fallen ftate, and a fenfible conviction of the evil and diforder, which fin hath introduced into our nature. When we look up to the Crofs, therefore, let us, instead of indulging the fenfations, which such a scene commonly raises in the breast, "weep rather for ourselves." Let us lament the miferable depravity of our hearts, which requires fuch an awful atonement: and let us never reft, till we experience its bleffed efficacy in our fouls; till all pride, envy, covetousnefs, and wrath, be totally extinguished; and the meeknefs, humility, condefcenfion and love of this Suffering LAMB OF GOD, be brought forth and exemplified in our life and converfation ! |