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den fets before our Eyes? Thofe Tortures of Body, and that exceeding Sorrow and Heavinefs of Soul, even unto death? Thofe Agonies and earnest Prayers, which extorted even Sweats of Blood, and a moít vehement Importunity, that the Bitternefs of that Cup, he was then about to drink, might, if poffible, pafs from him; Thefe are all Indications of Anguifh and Grief of Heart, greater than can be expreffed, on this occafion.

By all these Pangs our Lord hath convinced us, at how dear a Price he thought our Souls worth Purchafing, and what Obligations to Love and Gratitude lie upon Them, for whom he endured fo much. By these he fhews, how highly difpleafing to God Sin is; and what Horror and Dread they are to look for, whofe Perfonal Guilt and Obftinacy render them Objects of Divine Wrath and Vengeance; fince fo heavy a Load of Sufferings was laid on the Son of his Love, as almost quite weighed down a Perfon perfectly Innocent, when he fubmitted to bear the Sins of Others. So heavy, that even He, who declares the defign of his coming into the World to have been, that he might Suffer, and drink that bitter Cup; did yet, upon the approach and tafte of it, defire, if it might be, a Releafe from it. In which Defire because there are fome Difficul ties, we fhall do well to confider the probable Reafons of that Request, and to obferve the Manner and Temper of it.

Now it is not by any means to be imagined, that th's Requeft proceeded, from Ignorance of his Father's Purpofe, in relation to this Affair of Man's Redemption: Or from want of that Conftancy and Refolution, which became the Generous Undertaker of it: Or from any abatement of his Love toward the miferable Wretches, for whom he undertook it: Or from Rafhnefs or Inadvertency in that trying Hour: Leaft of all could it proceed from any Apprehenfion of his Father's Anger at his Perfon; For he was then engaged in an Act, the Gg 4

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ther is it any just Reflection upon the Second Adam, that He too was fubject to the like Fears and Averfions. For God does not expect from any Man, that he fhould have no Unwillingness at all to fuffer, when called to it; but, that he should conquer that Unwillingnefs, reft in thofe Appointments, and make God's Choice his own. The more any of us renounce out Own Will, upon fuch trying Occafions; the greater is our Virtue, in complying with the Divine Will. And therefore our Lord's Defires to be excufed were no Difparagement, either of his Obedience to God, or of his Love to Men. They were, in truth, a higher Commendation of Both. Since, notwithstanding fo tender a Senfe of what he was about to undergo, he gave himself up to Sufferings, fo harsh to Human Nature in general, fo exceeding bitter to Him in particular. Therefore, the more paffionate his Wishes were for a Release, the more meritorious was his Submiffion.

Now that Submiffion is fully exprefs'd in the Form of Words, by which he addreffed to his Heavenly Father. Begging, that if it were poffible, (that is, if God faw fit, and found any other Method of accomplishing the great Work of Man's Salvation equally wife and proper,) he might be spared thofe Agonies and Tortures, which were rufhing upon him like a mighty Torrent, and had already begun to afflict his Soul with Grief inexpreffible. But, at the fame time, if the Divine Wif dom continued to require thefe, fettling himself to endure them, with an immovable Conftancy of Mind. Nevertheless, not my Will, but Thine be done. Former part of this Petition is the Voice of Human Nature, according to that Principle of Senfe, which God, who implanted it in every Man, cannot difapprove, when duly regulated. The Latter is the Voice of the fame Human Nature, according to that Principle of Reafon and Duty, which fets bounds to our Defires, checks and controuls our Paffions and Inclinations, and

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reprefents it, as a becoming and neceffary Act of Obedience, to refign our felves, and all our Affairs, to God's better Choice; nay even to prefer his Difpofals of Them and Us, before any Defires or Inclinations of our own, in Oppofition to them. And This is all the Perfection that Human Nature is capable of; All, that God expects under any fort of Difficulties and Trials; To preferve fuch a Temper of Soul, as, that our Senfe fhall be always in Subjection to our Reason; and both Senfe and Reafon ready to comply with the Appointments of his good Providence, and the Tenor of his Commands. He, who was Innocence it felf, did, and We, without any Reflection upon our Virtue, may fear, and feel, and complain of, and pray against, and wish to be delivered from, Afflictions, and Shame, and bodily Sufferings. For Religion does not intend to extinguish our natural Appetites, and make us cease to be Men. But then we must always remember to do thus, with that Limitation and Referve, of which our Bleffed Mafter here left us a Pattern, because Religion's Business is to reduce our natural Appetites to a due Subordination, and by containing them within proper Measures of Obedience, to Him who gave them us, to make and keep us good Men.

Let us once more obferve the Succefs of this Prayer. Now That was seen, not in removing the Sufferings our Saviour deprecated; but in the Affiftance of an Angel to ftrengthen him under them. And We, from hence, muft learn to acknowledge the Wisdom and Goodness of God in all our Afflictions. We may not fuppofe, that he hath put off the Bowels of a Father, when he exercises our Patience, with Calamities grievous to be born. We should not prefently give up thofe Petitions, for loft and rejected, which are not granted in the Manner we defire. But we must think our felves kindly dealt with, and our Prayers anfwered to very good Purpose, when he fupports our Spirits under thofe Difficulties, which Flesh

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and Blood are too feeble to encounter ; and conclude, that even Events moft unacceptable will, if the Failing be not in our felves, turn at last to better account, than those more pleafing, but lefs profitable, which, if left to our own difpofal, would have been our Portion. In fhort, we never determine fo wifely, as when we leave all entirely to God's Choice, and our laft and governing Defire, is, that not Ours, but our Father's Will may be done.

Thus much may fuffice, to give us a probable Account of our Bleffed Saviour's Agonies and Sorrows upon this Occafion, and of the Ufes proper to be made of them. Those Sorrows, it feems reasonable to conceive, might be highly aggravated, by the clear Knowledge of the Horrors and Wrath, whereunto all, to whom thefe Sufferings prove fruitless, are appointed: And from a Forefight withal, how vast the Numbers of such will be, notwithstanding the Mifery he took upon himfelf, to prevent, if it had been poffible, their eternal Destruction. The afflicting Pain of both which RefleЄtions we can no more apprehend, than we can the infinite Tenderness and Compaffion of Him, who may be prefumed to have felt it, in proportion to his own Love, for the Souls he died to Redeem.

If we now, in the Next place, obferve the Bleffed Jefus, Apprehended by the Officers who came to take him, Receiving that treacherous Kifs of an abandoned Difciple, ufually a Token of Friendship, but now a Signal to the Malice of his Enemies; Dragged by unhallowed Hands to the Palace of the High-Prieft; There Blind-folded, and Buffeted, Mock'd and Spit upon: This fets before us, On the one hand, Such barbarous and infulting Cruelty, as must needs raife our Indignation: On the Other, Such invincible Meeknefs and Conftancy of Mind, as infinitely furpass any Inftance in Story, and justly excite our Wonder, as well as furnifh Matter for our Ufe and Imitation.

For, The more we reflect upon our Selves, and the

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Refentments commonly provoked in us, by Injuries and Indignities; the more caufe we fhall fee, to admire that Silence of our Great Mafter, which fo high Affronts, fo licentious Revilings, fo falfe Accufations, had not the power to break; much lefs to extort the least Angry Return from. A Silence, at which his very Adverfaries stood aftonifhed: Efpecially when fenfible, how very Weak the Charge against him was; and what Advantage he might eafily have taken, to expofe and confound the Wickedness and Malice, of those Suborned Wretches, who had the Hardiness to bring it.

A fevere Reproof This Silence is indeed of that Heat, and Clamour, and outrageous Bitterness, which too often do, upon much lefs trying occafions, transport Them, who call, and profefs to make, this Jefus their Pattern and yet even value themselves, upon paying back Calumnies and Wrongs, Infolencies and fpightful Treatment, in the felf-fame kind. An excellent Inftruction too, what Deportment is proper for the Injured and Oppreffed, when confcious of their own Innocence; and committing themselves, and the Righteousness of their Cause, to the Protection of a Juft God. And, upon both accounts, of exceeding ufe to be frequently meditated upon, that We may, by the help of this Example, be able to mafter those Paffions, which fo few People feel themselves in a condition to deal with; and to preferve ftrict Decency and Temper, when attack'd by Provocations, which touch us even in the moft fenfible Part.

But ftill, this refolute Silence notwithstanding, The fame Jefus, both before the High Prieft, and afterwards before Pilate, hath demonftrated the force of that Courage, which Truth and Innocence infpire. For there he laid afide all Referve, when queftioned concerning his own Character; And in express words bore a Teftimony, which, it was d fign'd, fhould, and he plainly forefaw, would, draw Condemnation of Death

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