immortal souls, to watch and pray that we enter not into temptation; to use every means of grace afforded us to become the adopted children of God's love; and to prove that Christ hath not died in vain for us; for there is every reason to believe the human soul of this tender Saviour endured additional misery in this DREAD-nay, in the certainty which his divine foreknowledge communicated, that many would not accept of the rich blessing of that saving grace which he died to render them a possibility and power of possessing; and, from what has been said, I think none of us shall hesitate to conclude, that the prophecy of Isaiah (chap. liii.) concerning our blessed Saviour, is completely verified in this relation of him: it is beyond all dispute a melancholy, but clear description of a suffering person-A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; oppressed and afflicted, wounded and bruised; brought to the slaughter, and cut off out of the land of the living. And there can be no doubt that the person, of whom that chapter treats, was certainly the Messias, or anointed Saviour, as I think hath been fully proved to you in my former Lectures; for, surely no man can be an offering for our sin, but our Saviour; nor hath God laid on any man the iniquity of us all, but on our Redeemer: upon no one but the Messias could the chastisement of our peace be; nor with any stripes could we be

healed but HIS. It is abundantly plain, therefore, that the suffering person whom the Prophet describes, was to be the Christ, in that he bore our griefs, and carried our sorrows.

The next portion in order of this article, is our belief concerning the particular person who was endued with judicial authority at Jerusalem, where our Saviour suffered. We profess to believe it was under PONTIUS PILATE. It behoves me, in the complete explanation of this article, to point out to you the use of our assent to this fact. We collect from this circumstance, that our Lord suffered during the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, under whom this person was an officer of great authority, and had the power of life and death over that part of Judea where he was appointed to collect the revenues of the empire. But there are several valuable reasons why this person is mentioned: (1.) In that it helps to clear up the most remarkable prophecies concerning the time of Christ's death. It was foretold by the Prophet Daniel 490 years before it happened; and we have delivered down to us, in the prophetical language of this same Prophet (ix. 24-27), such an exact account of what was to come to pass, that you will do well to consider it with the attention it deserves. (Ver. 26.) And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. And the people of the prince that shall come (i.e.

the Romans) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (as they did). (Ver. 24.) Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people (saith the Lord to his Prophet, by his angel Gabriel, in the vision), and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. (Ver. 25.) Know, therefore, and understand, that, from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, unto Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks; and threescore and two weeks the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. (Ver. 26.) And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, &c.

Again, by the record of this person's government, another prophecy is fulfilled, viz. that our Lord's death should be at the time that the sceptre was departed from Judah; that is, when the people of the Jews should be under the dominion of another nation; which also confirms the time of Jacob's prophecy (Gen. xlix. 10), that the sceptre should not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until SHILOH Come (which title was another name given to the Messias or Saviour); and unto him shall the gathering of all nations be. The last use of

handing down the name of Pontius Pilate, as an article of our Creed, was to establish an account of the manner of Christ's death, which had been also foretold by the Prophets. The providence of God is herein greatly to be magnified in thus fulfilling the sentence; for, hereby we are plainly taught how it came to pass that Christ should suffer according to Scripturesince, as so great a prophet could not die but in Jerusalem, according to our Lord's own words, O Jerusalem! that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; yet, as the death Christ was to suffer was contrary to the laws of the Jews (crucifixion being a Roman, not a Jewish punishment), it was necessary a Roman governor should condemn him, that so the counsel of the will of God might be fulfilled by the malice of the Jews, and the custom of the Romans.

It would answer no valuable purpose, in a Discourse of this kind, to enter into any curious inquiries concerning the temper and private reasons that might incite Pontius Pilate to such an act of gross barbarity, since he three times made the clear profession, I find no cause of death in him; and as often challenged the Jews to declare what evil he had done, that it might be on record, to vindicate him from passing so severe a sentence, as a death of torture, on a person he did not think worthy of death.

Doubtless there were reasons of selfish policy, and interest, united to a cruel disposition, which inclined him to be persuaded by the Jews; and what we read of his renewed friendship with Herod from that day, throws some light upon his unworthy character; for before they had been at enmity together: so that we see he bought some favour by his compliance with the cruel instigation of the Jews, enemies of Christ; and though he thought to acquit himself publicly of any blameable share in the act of barbarous injustice, yet we see he stands justly recorded, together with the whole nation of the Jews, as a perpetrator of this foul offence: His blood be on us and on our children, remains to this hour a mark against them; and the marvellous working of God's providence is still further shown in Christ's own confession, when Pilate boasted of his authority, and thereby condemned himself: Thou couldest have no power over me unless it was given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And though, when Pilate heard that he made himself the Son of God, he was more afraid; yet, notwithstanding all these apprehensions and professions, he condemned and crucified him. Like the wavering selfish Balak, the force of worldly influence prevailed over the dictates of duty and his own conscience; and he must be consi