the remainder of his nearly exhausted strength. ' in the beauties of holiness; from the womb of O let her approach this expiring Prince, and the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth?” pour a healing balm into its wounds. But no; Ps. cii. 1-3. she is forced to yield to the violence of those I know not, my brethren, what were the who surround her; the thick darkness obliges feelings of these holy women, and this beloved her to depart, all the care and tenderness that disciple, at this trying period; what rays of she could show to our Lord, all her tears are comfort were afforded to them, to lighten their useless. Holy woman, if “all generations mental darkness; nor what assistance was shall call thee blessed,” Luke i. 48, “because granted them in this conflict. But I know, thou wast the mother of thy glorious King and ihat the cross of Christ is a stumbling-block Redeemer,” shall not endless ages commise to the Jew, and to the Greek, foolishness. I rate thy grief. when destined to behold him know that the Jewish nation had, in all ages, suffering so shameful and agonizing a death. fixed their attention on the glory of the Mes But I mentioned also that reason and faith siah, and forgot his previous humiliation; and led the holy Virgin into a conflict of a different I know that even the disciples of Christ, tremnature. How could a human understanding, bled at the name of the cross. St. Peter heareven with the aid of reason and religion, pierce ing his divine Master speak of his approaching the thick veil that covered the divinity of our death, said “Be it far from thee, Lord, this Saviour, at the time of his crucifixion. If the shall not be unto thee,” Matt. xvi. 22; and mystery of the cross surpasses and startles our when Christ spoke to them of a future resurfinite imaginations now, when it is announced rection, they questioned one with another, to us by a preacher, who gives us the infallible what the rising from the dead should mean, word of God as security whereon to rest our Mark ix. 10. Christ rebuked them, saying, belief, what must have been its effect on the “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that minds of those who beheld Christ suffering by the prophets have spoken,” Luke xxiv. 25. the hand of murderers, chosen of God for this The women came to the disciples to tell them, purpose. Every circumstance of his passion, that they had been eye-witnesses of his resurhad indeed been exactly foretold by the pro- rection; but their information seemed more phets of old and the close accordance, the like the day-dreams of a confused imagination, great harmony, that was visible between the than the result of cool deliberation, or unpreprophecies, and their accomplishment, ought judiced judgment. Thomas, especially, notto have carried conviction to the minds of all withstanding the testimony of these same wo who attentively consider the subject. The men, and that of the rest of the apostles, represumption certainly was strong, that he who plied to those who said they had seen the so well fulfilled the humiliatory and painful Lord, " Except I shall see in his hands the part of the prophecies concerning him, would print of the nails, and put my finger into the likewise verify those parts that referred to his print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his exaltation and glorious triumph. But the side, I will not believe,” John xx. 25. Thus, spectators of the death of Jesus, saw only his although we are disposed to think very highly degradation; his glory was yet to come; death of the virtue and constancy of these holy withad now seized his victim, and his resurrection nesses of the crucifixion of our Lord, we dare was to them uncertain; the predictions of his not propose them as models for your imitation; humiliation were fulfilled, but they had not although we have a strong conviction, that seen the accomplishment of those concerning they did not fall under the attacks of the enehis exaltation. This Jesus whom we now be- mies of salvation, yet we dare not affirm, that hold ready to expire, the thread of whose life they entirely triumphed over them; and in is almost spun out, and who will only come discoursing upon their conflicts, we dare not down from the cross to be laid in the tomb, and enter fully on the subject of their victory, to go into the lower regions of the earth, can But not so, when we look to our blessed and this, I ask, be the promised Messiah, who will adorable Redeemer; if we place Christ before “ascend on high, and lead captivity captive, your eyes, we give you a perfect model: you and receive gifts for men?" Ps. Ixviii. 18. Can shall see him struggling, and you shall also this same Jesus, that we see wearing a crown see him more than conqueror; we shall speak of thorns upon his head, with a reed in his less of his struggle, than of his conquest: hand, addressed by the insulting titles, " Jesus "And Jesus seeing his mother, and the disciof Nazareth, king of the Jews,” John xix. 19, ple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto be the Messiah of whom God says, “I have his mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. Ask saith be to the disciple, Behold thy mother; of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thy and from that hour that disciple took her to inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the his own home." earth for thy possession?! Ps. ii. 6. 8. Is he We are to remark in this place, First, the whom I see insulted, despised, and lightly es- presence of mind, that showed itself through teemed, is he the Messiah, called by the pro- all the sufferings of Christ; no man was ever phets, “Wonderful, Counsellor, Prince of placed in circumstances so likely to destroy peace, the everlasting Father!" Isa. ix. 6. this feeling, as was our blessed Lord at this This Jesus, who now is nailed to an ignomini- time. My brethren, when we have lived as ous cross, is he the Messiah, the Lord to whom men generally do, without thought or reflecGod said, “Sit thou at my right hand, until tion, except of the things and affairs of this I make thy enemies thy footstool. The Lord transitory world; and paid no attention to that shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion; future day of judgment, which is so fast ap rule thou in the midst of thy enemies. Thy proaching, and when our eternal destiny will people shall be willing in the day of thy power, I be determined; when we behold the coming to any. of death, and have made no preparation for it, | feasts to which he was invited, and sanctified never fixed our thoughts on religious subjects, them with his heavenly conversation. nor acted agreeably to the dictates of con- This compassionate kindness shone most science; have not restored our ill-gotten wealth; conspicuous in the period referred to by the if we have slandered our neighbour; have evangelist in the words of our text, the weighty made no reparation; have never learned what cares of his soul, which he was on the point is the end of our existence, nor what is death; of yielding into the arms of his Father, did can we view the approach of the king of ter- not make him neglect his temporal concerns, rors, under these circumstances, without emo- he thought of his mother's grief, he procured tion will not our minds be filled with confused her a comforter of her poverty, and gave her ideas, and overpowered with the multiplicity a maintenance. of concerns; and having so many objects But, my brethren, the example of Christ is pressing on them, be prevented from attending worthy not only of praise, but of imitation. The same religion, which directs our thoughts But if we have, on the contrary, been, to a future state, and to the hour of death, during the whole course of our life, consider- teaches us rightly to perform our duties in the ing our latter end, and following the example present life. A Christian before he dies, will of our blessed Saviour; have always been dili- regulate his affairs, make his will, exhort his gent to do the work of the Lord, and have family, direct the education of his children, never lost sight of that awful period, to which recommend to them proper tutors and guarwe approach rapidly but insensibly; if such dians, and declare what are his dying requests. has been our conduct through life, we may But unhappy are they, who on their death-bed meet death with calmness. When the Chris- are wholly taken up with such cares; religion, tian on his death-bed, beholds around him a while she directs us to give them a portion of weeping family, near relations and intimate our attention, forbids their having it all. Look friends full of grief, he still is calm, he retains to the example of Christ, who seeing his mohis self-possession through a scene so affecting. ther and the disciple whom he loved, said to Death to him is not a strange object, he views his mother, Behold thy Son, and to the disciit without alarm, and employs the moments ple, Behold thy mother. that yet remain, in administering consolation But how was Mary provided for, now she to his friends, instructing or comforting his was under the protection of St. John; what family, or in the exercise of religion. And was the prospect that she had before her: he this tranquillity of soul is perhaps one of the was poor; it true, that he was disposed faithbest characteristics of a happy death, and fully to fulfil the trust reposed in him by his yields greater satisfaction than more trium- adorable master; and that poverty and misforphant expressions, for which there is less solid tune, so fatal to common friendships, only foundation. I have seen men in whose minds served to animate his. But what assistance or the approach of death excites emotions that protection could she hope for from an apostle partake more of the turbulence of frenzy, than devoted to his ministry, and treading in the of zeal; they heap Scripture upon Scripture, footsteps of his crucified master. It was, my and prayer upon prayer, and from not having brethren, but a poor hope, a feeble consolation, thought soon enough of their last moments, for his mother to cling to; but here again we they can now think only of them, and can nei- see the triumph of Christ, which he gained ther see, nor hear, nor think, of any thing else. over those fears, which so often disturb the bed How different were the last moments of of death. We see in the last moments of our Christ; in the midst of all his agony, he still Lord, none of those suspicions, none of those distinguished from the crowd of spectators his bitter cares, that so often empoison the peace mother; he saw her, and pitied her, and re- of the dying; that criminal distrust of God, commended her to the care of his beloved dis- which offends him at a time, when by prayer ciple. Woman, behold thy Son, Son, behold and praise we ought to conciliate his favour. thy mother. Christ displayed on this, as on other points, a We see, secondly, the tenderness and com- perfect confidence in the great Disposer of all passion of our Lord. There is a certain dis- events. But Christ triumphed again in anoposition in some, that partakes more of fero- ther way, in which we should endeavour to city, than piety; that possesses none of the imitate him. Do you say what will become amiable properties of true religion. On pre- of my children, or my family? Do you think tence of being Christians, they cease to be that you were the only person to whose care men: as they must one day quit the world, God could confide them, or that if he calls you they will form no connexions in it. Being away, he will have no resource left for their occupied with the concerns of the soul, they subsistence? Do you think that the manifold forget the care of this life, and the concerns wisdom of God, can raise them up no other pro tector? Do you think that if the paternal chaThe piety of Christ was not incompatible racter excites in you such tender emotions, with the innocent cares and concerns of life, that he who is the Father of all, does not feel he contributed largely to the pleasure of those them also? Do you imagine that he who parwith whom he associated, he behaved towards dons all your sins, cleanses you from your them with kindness, mildness, and condescen- guilt, snatches you from destruction, invites sion. He changed water into wine, at the you to glory, will disdain to supply food and marriage in Cana; he multiplied the loaves clothing, to those who survive you? No, he and fishes in the desert, to afford subsistence to will not: had they for their sole resource, a those who followed him; he partook of the man in such a sphere of life as was St. John, they would never be reduced to want. “When | rance of victory, and final triumph. After the my father and my mother forsake me,” said first emotions of nature have subsided, when the psalmist, “the Lord taketh me up,” Ps. he had glanced at the objects around him, he xxvii. 10. Let us also say, if I leave my father rose superior to the things of this world, he and mother in their old age, or my children knew that death puts a period to all sublunary in their infancy, the Lord will protect them. / connexions; that the titles of parent, friend, They will find a shelter under the wings of the and son, are only vain names, when we come Lord, and he will be their defence. of it. to the last hour. He no longer recognised his Again, let us adınire the firmness and self-relations according to the flesh, he was going possession of our Lord: while beholding those to form a new relaticnship in heaven, to merge objects that were most likely to shake it, all earthly ties in the countless families of gloChrist was possessed of a tender heart. We rified saints, of whom he is the head. He ap have already noticed this, and will now consi-peared to know no longer that Mary who had der the principal circumstances in his life, that borne him, giving her no more the title of mowill justify this assertion. To this end, view ther, but said, Woman, behold thy son. him going from town to town, from province 0, why cannot I communicate a portion of to province, doing good; see him discoursing this intrepid firmness of soul to those who comfamiliarily with his disciples when he showed pose this congregation; O that we may every them a heart full of loving-kindness. Behold one on the bed of death feel some of its influhim shedding tears over Jerusalem, and pro- ence, and be enabled to exclaim, Come ye specnouncing these affecting words, an everlasting tators of my agonies, draw near ye to whom memorial of his compassion, “If thou hadst nature has bound me by the closest ties, by the known, at least in this thy day, the things cords of love and friendship.. Approach my which belong to thy peace, but now they are friends, my children, that I may bid you a final hid from thine eyes," Luke xix. 42. Behold farewell : come receive the last pledges of my him again, a short time before his death, occu- affection, let me, for the last time, fold you in pied with care for his beloved disciples, who my paternal embrace, and cover you with my were to remain on the earth, and addressing to tears of affection; but do not suppose, that I his Heavenly Father that affecting prayer for would now draw tighter the cords which are so them recorded in John xvii. with the feelings soon to be broken; think not that I would unite of a soul full of the tenderest emotions. Jesus myself to you still closer at the time when God was exemplary in the several relations of a warns me that I must leave you for ever. I friend, of a master, and of a son. While he know you no longer; I know not father, mobeheld around his cross only those whose ma- ther, or children, but those who exist in the lice delighted to witness his agony and aggra- realms of glory, with whom I am about to form vate his sufferings, he turned his thoughts from eternal relationship, which will absorb all my earth, to that eternal world into which he was temporal connexions. about to enter. But what was the effect pro- Thus the opposite extremities of virtue duced on his mind, by the sight of Mary, of seemed to meet in the death of our Saviour as whom it is expressly said in Scripture, that he in a common centre, the perfections of the Godloved her. What did he feel when he beheld head, holiness, compassion, constancy, pierced the disciple whom he had distinguished by his through the thick veil which shrouded his peculiar friendship; and that other Mary in grandeur, his glory, his power, and his mawhose favour he had wrought such great mira- jesty. O, ye witnesses of his death, if his hucles, “Ah, remove these beloved objects far miliation caused you to doubt his Godhead, from me, take away every tie that binds my his greatness of soul must have fully proved it. departing soul to earth, your presence inflicts Behold the tombs open, the dead arise, all naa sharper pain than the nails which pierce my ture convulsed, bears witness to the dying Sahands; the sight of you is more insupportable viour; the graces that shone forth in his death than that of my murderers.” Is this the lan- are proofs of his noble origin, and his divine guage of our Lord? No: far otherwise; Christ nature; such was the death of Jesus Christ; remains firm, his courage is unabated. He may such be our end. “ Let me die the death was armed with almighty power, and he en- of the righteous, and let my last end be like tered this dreadful conflict with the full assu-l his." Amen. Numb. xxiii. 10. THE END. GENERAL INDEX. men A ii 255 he is faithfully warned and refut- i 379 402 ii 399 ii 188 Ants, an emblem of the busy multitudes of ii 34 nation ii 348 i 266 the Roman Catholic religion i 167 ii.s. seven ways of apostasy i 239 the dreadful sin of an enlightened ii 212 ii 328, 329 the apostasy through weakness and ji 347 ib. four degrees of apostasy 331, 332 ii 350 an address to simmers who have not i 95 attained the highest degree of this sin ib. absurd, and the forgery of the 250 i 279 ii 355 ed the person of Louis XIV., ji 294 on pretended miracles i 197 to heathen philosophers i 217 i 415 Arians refuted in their false gloss on John xvii. 3 ii 157 the Arians also refuted in their whim- sical gloss on John xvi. 13 ii 309 ii 7 Arminius, (Van Harmine,) three replies to his system ii 103 i 106 in the Bible practical duties are placed clear, and abstruse points ib. involved in depths, that Chris- 107 tians may have patience with one another 106 God is no wise accessary to the de- struction of sinners 116 i 193 Arnobius, his avowal of the Godhead of Christ i 279 i 313 273 eight cautions concerning it ib. assurance of justification may be attended with a mixture of ib. doubts as to final salvation ib. it is incompatible with a state of sin 314 assurance is demonstrated by the experience of holy men ib. by the nature of regeneration 315 354 by the prerogatives of a Christian 316 by the inward testimony of the i 100 317 i 367 four cautions concerning it ib. means of attaining assurance 350 i 369 degrees of grace and assurance ii 182 388, &c. Assurance consists in foretastes of heaven ii the bar of authority, at the bar of interest, of history, of reason, of conscience, and of scepticism it- 188 225 at the close of a sermon, ji 91 i 372 the want of it a horrible crime 414 it is the brightest ornament of re- ligion 417 ii 392 i 279 Bodies of the glorified saints probably not visible to the grossity of our sight i 328 ii 359 Brothels, the duty of magistrates concerning ib. ii 44 primitive church, their belief that Jesus Christ subsisted before his birth that he was of the same essence with the Father-and that he subsisted with him from all eternity i 277 i 287 C 295 Cæsarea, two towns of that name i 157 of greater plagues in four respects ii 352 Canaan, are urged as an argument to rouse sinners ii 358 of that book ji 3 230 Ceremonial law superseded by Christ i 288 whatever morality was contain- ed in the Jewish ritual law, &c. is still retained ii 374 i 171 the infidel ib. the miser ib. the temporiser ib. i 277 a man in public life, his danger ii 235 ii 312 ii 395 and repentance i 385 i 354 Christ would still weep over sinners 117 154 112 he is our reconciliation by the advo- cacy of his blood 155 113 ib. of death, being the everlasting Fa- ther ib. 157 inquiries of this kind may be put through pride, through curiosity, revenge, and benevolence ib. i 388 Christ the brightness of ce Dieu, dont il est la marque engravee et le caractere 173 il 147 not by the populace, but by divines and ecclesiastics ib. i 75 Christ the author and finisher of faith 299 |
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