Acts iv. 28. truly, that Jesus was delivered up to Death by the Counsel and Foreknowledge of Acts ii. 23. God; and, that nothing paffed in this whole Matter, but what his Almighty Wisdom bad before determined to be done. But ftill They, who confpired that Death of his, were left to their own Devices, and acted upon Principles and Choice fo free, that the whole was brought about by human and ordinary Means. It is one marvellous Inftance of the Divine Wisdom and Power, to permit the Unrighteoufnefs of Men, without any juft Imputation of the Guilt contracted by it: And then to make thofe Sins, which are not thought fit to be reftrained, inftrumental to excellent Purposes. Purpofes, altogether unknown to the Actors, and foreign to, nay sometimes deftructive of, their Defigns in commiting them. And never was the Glory of thefe Attributes more eminently illuftrated, than in the Sufferings of our Dear Redeemer. God had indeed ordained, that his innocent Son should die by the inveterate Malice and Barbarity of the Jews: but That Malice and Barbarity were intirely their own. And therefore the Apostle, who mentions the Council and Determination of God, as to the Event; does not forbear, as to the Quality of the fact, to pronounce those Hands Wicked, by which the Holy Jefus was Crucified and Slain. Now the Reafon of this is obvious. those very Actions of our Lord, which fhould have won the Jews over to a Belief of and Reverence for him, were by their Prejudice and Envy fo perverted, as to become fo many fresh Provocations to their Malice, for haftening his intended Destruction. Thus the Miracle upon Lazarus in particular, which (as was thewed before) put the unprepoffeffed Multitudes upon celebrating the Glories of this Mighty Prophet, had a quite different Operation upon the jealous Rulers. For from that Day forward they took Counsel toge- John xi. 53. ther to put him to Death. Nor did their D 4 Acts ii. 23. For Spight Spight stop there; But, enraged at the Influence this Miracle had upon the People, they were for removing out of the way, that very Perfon, who was the living Teftimony of it; and confulted to put Lazarus alfo to Death; Because that by reafon of him, many John xii. 10, 11. of the Jews went away and believed on Jefus. We are not much to wonder, if Men, fo unreasonably bent upon Mischief, were exafperated, upon every Expreffion of Inclination and Zeal, for fo hated a Rival in the Affections of the People. And hence it was, that .the Pomp and Acclamations of this Day's Gospel, however mean and despicable in themselves, yet meeting with Minds already inflamed and fore, galled them to that implacable Degree, implyed in that Reflection upon them, perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold the World is gone after him. This quickned them in their Measures, and confirmed them in the Expedience of his dying for the People, in that wicked Senfe, intended by Caiaphas. And Matt. xxvi. 2, 3.. accordingly, two Days after, they strike up their Bargain with Judas to betray him. Thus our Lord, who forefaw every Confequence diftinctly, fuffered the officious Respects of a well-meaning Multitude, to draw on his Paffion; by exafperating his Blood-thirsty Enemies, and rendring them more vigorous and impatient, in the Execution of their villainous Defigns. John xii. 19. *Comp. John xii. & 12. 3. 4. I can by no means think it unreasonable to believe, that our Lord admitted of these Honours from the People, as he did the coftly Ointment the *Day before, not meerly for the Value of the things themselves, but in a great measure for the Mysteries reprefented by them. The Ceremonies and Hofanna's, applied to Jefus upon this Occafion, feem more peculiarly to have belonged to the Feast of Tabernacles. A Festival, inftituted to commemorate the Ifraelites dwelling in Tents or Booths, + Levit. xxiii. when when they came up out of the Land of Ægypt. *But if we allow any fuch Typical + Ifai. xi. 1. *Zech. iii. 8. vi. 12. + John i. 14. Matt. xxvi. 12. John xii. 7. Importance in This, as the Scriptures exprefly attribute to fome Other Jewish Festivals; When could thofe Boughs, thofe Praises and Prayers, be fo fitly, fo fignificantly used, as in Honour to this Stem out of the Root of Jeffe: To that Righteous Servant, whofe Name is the Branch; To that Son of God who (as the Evangelift expreffes it) ‡ éoxńvwoev èv nμïv, vouchfafed to pitch his Tent among Men; to dwell in a Tabernacle of Human Flesh; and who therefore was now celebrated with Hofanna's, upon fo many Accounts his own? Again, In regard our Lord him felf declares, that Mary anointed his Body to the Burial, though it does not certainly appear to us, that fhe had any fuch End of that Action in view at the time of doing it; What should hinder us from inferring, by Parity of Reason, that thefe Multitudes, and all their triumphant Pomp (tho' not by them defign'd for fuch a Purpose) were a Type and Prelude, of our Lord's Refurrection, and Afcenfion to theRight Hand of God? Nay, to that more glorious and more triumphant Pompof the General Judgment? For then fhall this, once meek and humble, King come with the Attendance, not of young Children and a vulgar Train, but Troops of Angels and Bleffed Spirits innumerable. In a Figure, as becoming an Univerfal Conqueror and Lord; as this before us was fuitable to the Character and Condefcenfion of a fuffering Saviour. Then fhall the Shouts of Heavenly Hofts awaken the whole World from their Sleep of Death: And ftrike his Enemies with a Terror and Confufion, to which the Confternations, upon this Approach to Jerufalem, bear fome, though but a feeble, Refemblance. And indeed these seem fuch Meditations, as the Church defigned to carry our Thoughts forward to, in a more efpecial manner, by introducing with this Portion of Scripture, a Seafon of more than ordinary Devotion; The Two great Ufes whereof are, to dispose us for commemorating our Lord's First, and to affist us in making due Preparation for his Second, Advent. Now to this Preparation fomewhat confiderable may be contributed, by thofe many practical Inferences, which naturally refult from the foregoing Particulars, I instance at present in these Four only. 1. The Example of our Bleffed Master, advancing fo chearfully towards his Sufferings, fhould animate and confirm all his Difciples, in taking up their Crofs, when it fhall please God at any time to lay it before them. It should fortifie them against fuch Sufferings efpecially, as more directly tend to the Service of the Truth, and to the Benefit of their Brethren. Nor ought it in thofe cafes to damp our Refolution and Zeal, that we fuffer wrongfully, or for Them, who have not merited well at our Hands. For in these Respects, above all, is the Bleffed Jefus our Pattern; who was fo well contented to be betrayed into the Hands of wicked Men, 1 Pet. iii. 18. 2 Cor. v. 21. and to die upon a Crofs, the Just for the Unjuft. He who knew no Sin, was made Sin for us, that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him: And, except we endure, not only patiently, but even contentedly and gladly, when the Honour of God, and the Salvation of our Souls, are like to be the Confequence of our Afflictions; we do by no means copy after him, who bath herein left us an Example, that we I Pet. ii. 21, fhould follow his Steps. 2. Well were it, if the Circumstances peculiar to this Action were fo confidered, as to regulate Men's Behaviour, when Honour, and Greatness, and Fame, endanger their Prudence and their Virtue. If they would prevail for fuch a Deportment, even in the most shining Merit, even in the most exalted Station, that their Hu mility and Conftancy of Mind might never cease to be confpi I confpicuous. If, even in their gayeft Intervals, they would admit feasonable Reflections, That they are moving toward Death apace; That the Condition of Humane Nature allows but a fhort Enjoyment of these Advantages, putting the very best of the Cafe; That they are exceeding apt to cut themselves yet fhorter, by fetting an Edge upon the Envy of Others, and irritating the Malice of jealous Competitors, to haften the Destruction, and rife upon the Ruins, of Men better and more esteemed than themselves: In a Word, Would fuch but mortifie their Vanity, by obferving the Worthlefness, the Inftability, of Popular Applaufe and Publick Refpects, which they are fo prone to be blown up, and turned giddy with. The Paffage before us demonftrates, how falfe a Confidence we place in thefe Advantages; what very Reeds the Affections of the People are; and how they bend to every Wind, of Faction, and Intereft, and malicious Infinuation, even when moft Zealous, even when most Sincere. For what Security can any one have, that thefe Affections fhall be conftant to him, when this moft Innocent,moft Innoffenfive Perfon; This beft Benefactor to Mankind, whom his most inveterate Enemies could not convince of any Sin, did yet, after fo many Miracles of Mercy, find these deferved Hofanna's changed, in five Days time, into those causeless, those importunate Clamours, Crucifie him, Crucifie him, Away with this Man, and releafe 18, 21. unto us Barabbas? Luke xxiii. 3. The different Behaviour of the Rulers, from that of the Common People, upon this Occafion, fhould be a Warning to Us, that we fuffer not any Perfon, or private Refpects, to biafs us in Matters of Religion. For the Refentments, fo directly contrary, of the Miracle, by which Lazarus was raised from the Dead, fhew what unequal Judges of Men and Things Prejudice and Intereft are; And, that the Succefs of the beft Doctrine, and moft fufficient Evidence, will turn at laft upon the |