was perfecuted, tempted, calumniated, betrayed, bound, mocked, fpit on, buffeted, fcourged, wounded, crowned with thorns, and crucified. He fuffered in all his offices; he was mocked as a Propbet, and bid prophefy who fmote him? as a Priest, he was bid fave himself, feeing he pretended to fave others; as a King, he was mocked with an old purple robe and thorny crown-He fuffered in his honour and reputation, being difgraced and reproached my men called a Samaritan, one poffeffed of the devil, a blafphemer, a glutton, a drunkard, a feducer, &c. He was even overwhelmed with calumny. He fuffered as a blafphemer against God, as a traitor to Cesar, and an enemy to Moses' law, tho' he was entirely free of them all.He was wounded and pierced in all parts of his body, in his head, hands and feet; in his cheeks, back and fide. -He fuffered in his outward goods, being spoiled of all things, and even ftript of his clothes to his very fkin, and nailed to the croís naked. He fuf. fered in all his five senses; his sight, with the spiteful carriage of thofe that paffed by, wagging their heads; his bearing, with their blafphemous talk; his smell, with the noifome favour of the fculls of the dead; his taste, with vinegar and gall; bis feeling, with thorns and nails piercing his head, hands and feet. He fuffered in the most tender and fi newy parts of his body by the tormenting nails, efpecially being violently ftretched out, and probably disjointed to make them reach to the holes, there. fore he faith, Psal. xxii. 16, 17. They bave digg'd my bands and my feet, I may tell all my bones, they look and Aare upon me.-) He fuffered most of all in his foul, and its noble faculties: How great was the agony and travail of his foul, when he fweat blood in the garden through all the pores of his body!

O how great, was the anguish of his mind upon his heavenly Father's deferting him, which made him fend forth a dreadful cry to heaven for relief, my God, my God, why baft thou forfaken me? Then it was he cried and groaned under his preffure, but no relief appeared; there was none to answer, every door was fhut against him: For at this time his own fun, his own heaven, his own father, his own godhead, did all hide their faces and confolations from him! O the many things he fuffered for us, they cannot be numbered!

3. I am to confider from whom the Son of man fuffered. He fuffered from all hands, from earth, from hell, from heaven; from men, from devils, from infinite juftice. He fuffered from all forts of men, from king Herod and his men of war, who mocked him and fet him at nought; from the Jewifh priests and rulers, who cruelly used and profecuted him to death; from governor Pilate, who fcourged and condemned him to be crucified: He fuffered from the Jews and from the Romans, from the clergy and from the lawyers, from soldiers and servants, from great ones and commons, and even from thofe he had done much good unto. -He fuf. ered from those whom he came to fave and wash by his blood; for there were 3000 of those who crucified him, or were active in his fufferings, that were converted to him by Peter's fermon, Ads ii. he fuffered not only from eremies, but from profeffed friends and difciples; one of these betrayed and fold him, another of them denied and abjured him, and all the reft forfook him, and left him alone to fuffer in the midft of devils and ruffians infulting over him. He fuffered from the Devils, and all the powers of hell; the dogs and bulls of Bashan were all let loofe to tear and gore him in his laft fuffer.

ings; for this (he faid) was their bour and power of darkness. But, which was worst of all, he fuffered alfo from beaven; for he being fubftituted in the room of linners, a juft and holy God acted as an inexorable judge towards him, he frowned terribly upon him, fmote him with the fword of justice, and withdrew all the feelings of his loving-kindness from him, and all thefe divine influences which might any way refresh his troubled foul in the hour of his greatest need: And thus he fell a facrifice to incensed justice for our heinous guilt and provocations. At this time a fearful black cloud was fpread over the glorious fun of righteoufnefs, never was there any fuch eclipfe feen or heard of as this! for a candle to be put out is no great matter. but for the sun to be darkened is very uncommon: But tho' fun, moon and ftars had all been blown up at once, it would be nowife fo amazing as the darkning of the eternal fun of righteoufhefs upon the crofs! a ftrange and marvellous fight! What meant the heat of this great anger? Muft even the Creator himself suffer for the creature's fins? Muft be fuffer fuch a load of wrath, as to make him cry out to the aftonilhment of angels and men ?

4. I am to coufider the high priest, and for whom it was he fuffered thefe great and many things. He fuffered not for himself, for he never offended either against God or man, and deferved no punishment : He fuffered none for fallen angels, they must all fuffer for theinfelves: It was only for men of Adam's race, that were debtors to justice and prifoners of wrath he fuffered for creatures most undeferving, for rebels, and for many that were his greatest enemies; and even for thefe who were his murderers and execu tioners, for he both prayed and was heard for them, when they were pouring out his blood.

5. Let me confider with what affection he fuffered all these things for us. It was with ardent love to perifhing fouls, which many waters could not quench-with fervent wifhes and longings for the hour of his paffion, I have a baptifm to be baptifed with, and bow am I ftraitened until it be accomplifhed-With great liberality: It is not the blood of his finger, or a part of his blood, that he would fhed for us; no, he would needs pour out all of his blood, and even his heart-blood too, and with that he pour ed out his foul allo, Isa. liii. why would he be fo liberal? that with him there might be plenteous redemption, Pfal. cxxx. 7.-He fuffered with great meeknefs, patience and refignation; when he fuffer. ed, he threatened not, but was led as a fheep to the flaughter, dumb, not opening his mouth:With great humility and felf-denial, content to be a worm and no man, to bring glory to his father:With a thirsty zeal for the falvation of fouls, and for compleating the work of our redemption; and hence it was, he cried on the cross, I thirft, and glad when he could fay, it is finished.

O what caufe have I to obey his dying charge, to go to his memorial feaft, and to think upon and wonder at the matchlefs love of Chrift, that made him willing to fuffer fo many things for fuch wretch. ed creatures as I amn. He knew well enough beforehand what our falvation would coft him, yet he wil lingly undertook it, faying upon the very firft moti on of it, Lo I come. But faith God to him, If you will engage in this work, you must lye under my wrath, and be handled as if you were the finner in law: Well, faith Chrift, I come to do thy will, O God; I am fatisfied with the terms: Let the cup be never fo bitter, I'll drink it, ere those miserable creatures do it. O loving high Prieft, how fhall I think of

thy fufferings without raptures of love and admiration! I had been in hell if thou hadst not been in an agony here; I had for ever been fcorched there, if thou hadst not fweat here; yea, not only I, but all the pofterity of Adam had perifhed if thou hadft not fuffered thefe many things for them: Surely the weight of wrath which made thee heavy, and caufed thee to fall to the ground, sweat, groan and cry, would have funk all mankind into hell for ever.-O what ingratitude must it be to refufe Chrift's offers and terms of falvation, after what he has fuffered to purchafe it! was he at fo much paius to obtain redemption for us, and will we be at no pains to get an interest in it? did he fled blood, and will not I drop tears? Lord, pity this heart of mine.

MEDITATION XXI.

From JOHN xviii. 4.

Jesus knowing all things that should come upon bim, went forth, &c.

C

YHRIST foreknew all his fufferings, with all their ingredients, before they came upon him; yet he willingly and refolutely went forth to meet them. He will not flee, nor hide himself from his perfecutors, but caft himself in their way. He faw the cup of wrath mixed and ready for him, and now as it were he reaches forth his hand to take it. When the people would have forced him to a crown, he hid himself from them, John vi. 15. But when they would force him to a crofs, he offered himself to them, knowing that his hour was come to fulfil his furetifhip for us, and compleat our re demption. Upon this account he made his fuffer, ings welcome, and the paffover that introduced