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heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself, and come down from the cross. And how many of the same temper, influenced by the spirit of infidelity, in our present day, revile the Saviour's person, and despise the merit of his cross? Are there not many of our youth fond of vanity, whose hearts are captivated by sin, when they hear of a Saviour's sufferings, pass by, utterly unconcerned? Is it nothing, indeed, vain youth, thus to despise the friend of sinners bathed in blood? Be you assur ed, if your youthful crimes are pardoned, it must be by that very blood which you now despise. And ye men of busy life, with you also of grey hairs, who anticipate the grave, say, are the suffering of Jesus nothing worth to you, but pass by the cross unconcerned, in pursuit of all the world calls good and great, while every step accumulates your guilt, and makes you more unfit for that world which is to come? Stop, fellow mortals, stop! Did the earth tremble beneath a suffering Christ, and shall your hearts remain unmoved as the flinty rock? Depressed on your loss by trade, you drop a tear; but ah! what tear ever fell from your eyes on apprehension of a lost soul? Go, read the justice and the mercy of God in the cross of Jesus, and may the riches of mercy be conveyed to your hearts! Some there are who profess to know the Saviour, yet, like Peter, when his Master suffered in the High Priest's hall, denied him. Ye backsliders, ye followers afar off, is it nothing to you that Jesus should be bathed in sweat and in blood? What! pass by that cross under which you once could rest in peace? O that with a look of compassion, Jesus may restore to you the joy of his salvation, and enable you once more to look on him whom you have so keenly

pierced! Some there are, and not a few, who stand still and embrace the cross; they contemplate the harmony of the divine attributes in the redemption of sinners; and by that accursed tree, find the life of their souls. May I not hope, that such are some of you? From the sorrows of Jesus flow the cup of your joy! Beneath this cross, contemplating the unparalleled sufferings of Christ, and feeling your hearts attracted with his dying love, let your life in all holiness, testify your gratitude to your Saviour. Make daily use of the cross of Jesus. Here you may enjoy sensible communion with God, learn reconciliation under the sorrows of your lives, and find a purifying source adequate to mortify the evil propensities of your heart. Here too you will behold those lively expressions of eternal love which will form a sufficient stimulus to every moral and evangelical duty, and, at the same time, obtain an assurance of the continuance of every future blessing. For,

To man the bleeding cross has promis'd all :
The bleeding cross has sworn eternal grace:
Who gave his life, what grace can he deny?

YOUNG.

LECTURE VII.

CHRIST A PROPHET.

JOHN vi. 14.

This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world.

My Prophet thou, my heavenly Guide,
Thy sweet instructions I will hear;
The words that from thy lips proceed,
O how divinely sweet they are!
Thee my great Prophet I would love,
And imitate the bless'd above.

D.

IT was the opinion of many heathen philosophers, that from the benevolence of the Deity, he would not permit mankind to remain in its present state of gross ignorance of himself and the path to obtain substantial happiness; but would send them a teacher, far more superior than ever yet appeared in the world. The Jews also, notwithstanding what they enjoyed from Moses and the Prophets, were taught to look forward for the appearance of a greater Teacher, who should scatter the clouds of error, and reveal those most sublime truths which are worthy of Jehovah, and necessary to the present and future felicity of men. In the PROPHETIC CHARACTER Jesus appeared in Judea. Such were his doctrines, enforced with a life of the most consummate virtue, that many who well knew the spirit and letter of prophecy, unitedly declared in the language of our text, This is of a truth that Prophet who should come into the world. It will, therefore, be worthy our employ, to bring forward some of those ancient prophecies which designated this

great Teacher sent from God, with their application to Jesus Christ; and show the manner in which he performs this interesting office to his people in all ages.

1. Moses said unto the children of Israel, The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him shall ye hearken. Of this many of the Jews were convinced; and beholding Jesus as a teacher, they glorified God, saying, A great prophet is risen up among us, and God hath visited his people. Jesus was raised up from among his brethren, a son of Abraham and of David, of the tribe of Judah, and born in Bethlehem, and thus an Israelite according to the flesh. Jesus was a prophet like unto Moses, called of God, faithful in his house, instructed the ignorant, and was to deliver his brethren from bondage. The disparity, however, was great; seldom did they hear Moses, and less did they obey him; but the instructions of Jesus, the better prophet, were to be effectual: Him shall ye hear; he spake as never Moses or any man spake; his words were clothed with divine authority, penetrating the heart of the most ignorant and rebellious, producing the fruit of virtue and honour. Besides, Moses was a teacher of the law, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, through which sinners are pardoned, and made meet for endless bliss.

The Messiah, according to Isaiah lxi. 1, was anointed of the Spirit of the Lord, to preach good tidings; proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and to comfort all that mourn. From this very text, Jesus preached on entering his ministry, Luke iv. 14, 22. Good tidings of salvation dropped from his lips and enriched the hearts of many, so that they glorified God for his visitation. * Besides, Messiah was prophesied to be an INTER

PRETER, one among a thousand; and who alone was competent to declare unto men, who, by transgressions, were going down to the pit, that God had found a ransom for their deliverance. This, indeed, formed a material part of the instructions given by Jesus our invaluable prophet; and, what was a singular mark of his own excellence, altogether new and unparalleled in the world, he not only directed his disciples to look to him for instruction ; but that he himself was to suffer, bleed, and die for their sins, and thus give his life a ransom to deliver them from the pit of destruction.

Concerning the great Prophet who was to come into the world, extraordinary miracles were to be performed by him in testimony of his mission. He was to make the blind to see, the deaf to bear, the lame to walk, and the dumb to speak; with many other supernatural operations; all of which were performed by the word of Jesus; and many believed on him as the Christ of God.

The appearance of Jesus was by no means like that of Mahomet, the false prophet of Arabia, who never pretended to be a subject of prophecy, nor ventured to attest his doctrine by miracles; of course, to speak the most favourable of him, he was an intruder. But from what we have said of Jesus, it is evident his person, miracles, mission, and success as a prophet, were foretold some thousand years before his birth. Besides, the instruction of Jesus was to make men wiser and better; when the teaching of Mahomet, by his Koran, was evidently calcu lated to enflame the lusts of his followers, promote rapine, and make men seven-fold more the children of the devil. Let us then rejoice in the sublime character of Jesus, the great instructor of his Church, and learn with submission to be made wise unto everlasting life.

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