all their devices of none effect."

With a

e word, or with a look, or with a mere act of the will, he could, in a moment, have overturned their beft laid fchemes, and even converted their impotent attempts against his life, to their own deftruction: Or, as he hinted to Peter, when prompted by an inconsiderate zeal, that apostle drew the fword in his defence, he could have brought "legions of angels" from heaven, for his refcue and protection. Indeed, his enemies themfelves fufficiently experienced. his irresistible power, when by the mere energy of a short reply, an armed multitude whom they fent to feize him were fo overawed, that, unable to stand in his prefence," they went backward, "and fell to the ground."

But though poffeffed of this almighty power, Jefus never employed it, but in fubferviency to the will and the glory of God. "He came "down from heaven, not to do his own will, "but the will of the Father that fent him. "And he fought not his own will;" but zealously did, and patiently fuffered "the will of "his Father." Even in that dreadful hour when his human nature was ready to fink under the weight of his fufferings, and he earB

neftly prayed in an agony, that "the cup "which the Father had given him might pafs "from him;" his fubmiffion to the Father repelled the fenfe of pain, and triumphed over the weakness of his humanity; fo that refuming his native fortitude, he placidly and fully acquiefced in the Father's good pleasure: 0

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my Father, if this cup may not pass from me except I drink it, thy will be done.”

Thus ftrengthened and refigned, he went forth with cheerfulnefs to meet thofe who drew near to apprehend him. When " the hour of his "enemies was come," he furrendered himself into their hands; he patiently endured their blind and inhuman fury; he fuffered the power of darkness to rage*; he fubmitted in every thing; he became obedient unto death, even "the death of the crofs :" For all this was the Father's will; the previous appointment of eter nal wisdom for promoting the ends of his infinite grace. So the apoftle Peter exprefsly intimates where, speaking of the condemnation and death

*This is your hour, and the power of darkness." Luke xxii. 53.

"The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing "in me." John xiv. 30.

of Chrift, he faith, that "Herod and Pilate, "the Gentiles and the people of Ifrael, had done "what the hand and counfel of God determin"ed before to be done." And in this, as in every other inftance, the Father's will was alfo the Son's. He is one with the Father, and "came in the Father's name, to finish his work.” Whatever therefore the accomplishment of his work required, Jefus fuffered, not by constraint. or reluctantly, but readily and of his full accord. I fay, not by constraint; this the perfection of his character abfolutely excluded. "No man,' faith he himself, "taketh my life from me, but "I lay it down of myself: I have power to lay "it down, and I have power to take it again. "This commandment I have received of my "Father."

Ye who proudly reject a fuffering Saviour, learn from this, that although the enemies of Chrift fucceeded in their defigns against him, fo as even with wicked hands" to fhed his innocent blood; yet as no policy of management, no vigour of exertion in man, could of itself have brought their defigns to this iffue, their fuccefs cannot be confidered either as arguing inferiority or defect of power in him, or

as furnishing them with any reasonable ground of boafting or triumph. No: had they not been permitted by the counfels of God; had he not condefcended to fubmit to their power, all their attempts against him would have been utterly abortive. And learn on the other hand, ye who "efteem this man of forrows, who glory in "the cross of Chrift, and defire to know no"thing fave Jefus Chrift, and him crucified;" learn to regard his death with all its diftrefsful circumstances, as the genuine refult of his own uncontrouled and fovereign pleafure: perfuaded that neither chance nor destiny; neither the endeavours of human malice, nor the affaults of infernal rage, feparate or combined, were fufficient to produce an event fo ftupendous. 'Tis to himself alone, to the gratuitous motion of his own good will, that this act of grace and humiliation must be ultimately referred. Jefus died, because it was the Father's will; because with the Father's will, his own entirely accorded. This, I repeat it, is the proper fource, the grand and primary cause to which his death must be traced. To this, all the caufes which immediately or apparently contributed to it were but fubordinate. From this, the whole of their ef

ficacy was derived. And but for this, the utmoft efforts of his united enemies could never have prevailed. "The heathen might have "raged; the people might have imagined vain "things; the kings of the earth might have fet. "themselves, and the rulers taken counsel to

gether against the Lord, and against his anoint"ed: But he that fitteth in the heavens would "have laughed; the Lord would have had them "in derifion."

But when we speak of the death of Christ as originating in the will and counfel of God, the queftion naturally occurs? What could have moved the all-wife God to will an event, which, while it violated the effential dignity of Christ's perfon, apparently tended to counteract the immediate ends of the office with which he was invefted. Jefus, we are taught on divine authority to believe, was commiffioned of God, to inftruct, to convert, to fave the world. But nothing could, to our apprehenfions, have been more unlikely to promote those ends than the crofs, than which there is not a greater or more general caufe of offence in the whole gospel. Say then,