ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

slothful, or unfaithful; or if they are niggardly and hard-hearted, or voluptuous and dissolute, or implacable and revengeful? They who thus " "lay "stumbling-blocks before the blind,"* and confirm the prejudices of the ignorant, will have much to answer for.

II. It is farther said, He was "a man of sor"rows, and acquainted with grief." He was surrounded with sorrows on every side, and grief was his intimate, inseparable companion. Surely this consideration, if any, will animate us "to endure "the cross, and to despise the shame" we may be exposed to for his sake. The illustration of this subject will offer more fully in the sequel. It shall suffice, at present, to assign three causes for his continual sorrows.

1. The outward course of life, to which he submitted, for the sake of sinners, exposed him to want, weariness, contempt, and opposition. And though his resignation and patience were perfect, yet he was truly a man, and partaker of our nature, with all its affections and sensibilities which do not imply sin. His feelings, therefore, were human, similar to our own in similar circumstances, and they were often painfully exercised. Once and again we read that he was hungry and had no food; he was thirsty, and was nearly refused a little water to drink, when wearied with his journeying in the heat of the day. character was aspersed, his person despised, his words insidiously wrested, his actions misrepresented. He was misunderstood even by his friends, betrayed by one disciple, denied by another, and forsaken by the rest. It is hardly possible for his followers to meet with any outward

His

* Lev. xix. 14. + Matt. iv. 2.; xxi. 18.; John, iv. 9. ↑ John, vii. 5.

trial which may not remind them of some part of the history of their Lord and Master, "who "left them an example of suffering, that they "should" cheerfully "follow his steps."

*יי

2. His perfect knowledge and foresight of those sufferings which we emphatically call his passion. How often does he speak of them, and describe the circumstances as if they were actually present! Futurity is, in mercy, concealed from us. It would often bereave us of all present comfort, if we knew what the next year, or, perhaps, what the next day would bring forth. If some of you could have foreseen, many years ago, what you have since been brought through, you would probably have sunk under the apprehension; or the stoutest of us might sink now, if we were certainly to know what may be yet before us. But Jesus, long before he made atonement for our sins, had counted the cost. And though his love determined him to save us, the prospect, which was continually present to his view, of the approaching unutterable agonies of his soul, of all that he must endure from God, from the powers of darkness, and from wicked men, when he should be made a curse for "us, to redeem us from the curse of the law;"† I say, this tremendous prospect, was, doubtless, a perpetual source of sorrow.

3. The frame of his spirit. Whoever has a measure of the mind that was in Christ, must be proportionally burdened and grieved, like righteous Lot in Sodom, with the wickedness around him, if he lives in society. Who that has any regard for the honour of God, or the souls of men, can hear and see what passes every hour; how the authority of God is affronted, his goodness

*

1 Pet. ii. 21.

+ Gal. iii, 13.

12 Pet. ii. 8.

abused, and his mercy despised, without emotions of grief and compassion? If we are spirituallyminded, we must be thus affected; and we should be more so, if we were more spiritual. But the holiness of MESSIAH, and, consequently, his hatred of sin, was absolutely perfect. His view of the guilt and misery of sinners, was likewise comprehensive and clear. How must he be therefore grieved by the wickedness and insensibility of those with whom he daily conversed! especially as he not only observed the outward conduct of men, but had an intimate knowledge of the evil heart, which is hidden from us. In this sense his sufferings and sorrows began with his early years, and continued throughout the whole of his life. He undoubtedly could say, with an emphasis peculiar to himself, "I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved;" "rivers of waters ran down my eyes, "because men keep not thy law."*

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

We call ourselves the followers and servants of him who was despised of men, and encompassed with sorrows. And shall we then "seek great "things for ourselves,"† as if we belonged to the present world, and expected no portion beyond it? Or shall we be tremblingly alive to the opinion of our fellow-creatures, and think it a great hardship, if it be our lot to suffer shame for his sake, who endured the cross, and despised the shame for us? Rather may we account such disgrace our glory, and every loss and suffering, that we may endure for him, a gain; while, on the other hand, we learn with the apostle Paul, to esteem every gain and honour this world can afford, "to be but loss and dung in comparison of "the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus 66 our Lord."

*Psal. cxix. 136. 158. † Jer. xlv. 5.

+ Phil. iii. 8.

209

SERMON XVIII.

VOLUNTARY SUFFERING.

ISAIAH, 1. 6.

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair : I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

THAT Which often passes amongst men for resolution and the proof of a noble, courageous spirit is, in reality, the effect and mark of a weak and little mind. At least, it is chiefly owing to the presence of certain circumstances, which have a greater influence upon the conduct than any inherent principle. Thus may persons who appear to set death and danger at defiance in the hour of battle, while they are animated by the examples of those around them, and instigated by a fear of the punishment or shame they would incur if they deserted their post, upon a change of situation, as for instance, on a bed of sickness, discover no traces of the heroism for which they were before applauded, but tremble at the leisurely approach of death, though they were thought to despise it under a different form. It was not true fortitude, it was rather a contemptible pusillanimity, that determined the celebrated Cato to destroy himself. He was afraid of Cæsar; his dread of him, after his victories, was so great, that he durst not look him in the face; and, therefore, he killed himself to avoid him. To the same meanness of sentiment we may confidently ascribe the pretended gallantry of modern duellists. They fight, not because they

[blocks in formation]

are not afraid of death, but because they are impelled by another fear, which makes a greater impression upon a feeble, irresolute mind. They live upon the opinion of their fellow-creatures, and feel themselves too weak to bear the contempt they should meet with from the circle of their acquaintance, if they should decline acting upon the false principles of honour which pride and folly have established. They have not resolution sufficient to act the part which conscience and reason would dictate, and therefore hazard life, and every thing that is dear to them as men, rather than dare to withstand the prevalence of an absurd and brutal custom.

A patient enduring of affliction, and especially of disgrace and contempt, to which the characters the world most admire are confessedly unequal, is a much surer proof of true fortitude, than any of those actions which the love of praise, the fear of man, or even a mercenary attachment to lucre, are capable of producing. True magnanimity is evidenced by the real importance of the end it proposes, and by the steadiness with which it pursues the proper means of attaining that end; undisturbed and unwearied by difficulty, danger, or pain, and equally indifferent to the censure or scorn of incompetent judges. This greatness of mind is essential and peculiar to the character of the Christian, I mean the Christian who deserves the name. His ends are great and sublime, to glorify God, to obtain nearer communion with him, and to advance in conformity to his holy will. To attain these ends, he employs the means prescribed by the Lord, he waits at Wisdom's gates,* and walks in the paths of dependence and obedience.

* Prov. viii. 34.

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »