fo many in Number, fo glorious in their Nature, fo beneficial in their Tendency, that in them the Glory of God was most eminently displayed. It cannot reasonably be fuppofed that God would fend his Son into the World upon fo important an Errand as the Redeeming and Saving Sinners the human Race, without fufficient Credentials, which, if duly attended to, might have led Men to believe in him as in Reality the glorious and Divine Perfon which he declared himself to be. He appeared on Earth in mean outward Circumftances, without the Riches, Grandeur, or Glory of this World. But he had a Glory of an higher Nature attending him, even the wonderful Works which he performed; many of which are particularly mentioned by the Evangelifts, though they themselves intimate, that it is only a fmall Part of them which is recorded. The Blind received their Sight, withered and perishing Limbs were restored at once, the Lame were made to walk, and the Dumb and Deaf to hear and Speak; the Lepers were cleanfed; great Nume bers that were brought to him from all Parts, and who laboured under the most incurable and defperate Difeafes, were healed, without failing in any one Inftance; and the Dead were raifed to Life: And all

this by a fovereign Word or Touch. With Authority he commanded even the unclean Spirits, and they obeyed him. Many of his Miracles were performed with an Air of Divine Sovereignty and Grandeur, becoming the Lord of Nature. He only faid to the ftormy Wind and Tempeft, and to the raging Sea, Peace, be fill; and the boisterous Elements obeyed. He gave the powerful Word, Lazarus, come forth; and the dead Man, who had been four Days in the Grave, immediately arofe. Twice did he feed feveral Thoufands, at once, with a few Loaves and Small Fishes. His Miracles were not merely Acts of fupernatural Power, but of Godlike Goodness and Compaffion to the Bodies and Souls of Men, and they were done for the most Part in open View, in the Prefence of Multitudes, and even of his moft obftinate Enemies, those who were most strongly prejudiced against him. Juftly therefore did he himself appeal to his wonderful Works as manifeft Proofs that be was in the Father, and the Father in him. John xiv. 11. They were fuch as became the Divinity in human Flesh, and thewed that he really was what the Voice from the magnificent Glory declared him, the beloved Son of God, in whom he was

well

well pleafed. And, what eminently distinguifhed him from all other Prophets and Workers of Miracles, he not only wrought the most marvellous Works in his own Perfon, but commiffioned and inabled his Difciples to perform Works of the fame Kind in his Name, and by Power derived from him. Taking all thefe Things together, what an astonishing and delightful Scene openeth to our View! It fhewed that fomething was now carrying on of the higheft Importance, far exceeding what the World had ever feen or known before. And the true Chriftian cannot review all this without Wonder and Joy.

But, Fourthly, It is farther to be confidered, that this moft excellent Perfon, the Son of God in human Flesh, submitted, for our Sakes and in Obedience to his heavenly Father's Will, to the deepest Humiliations, the most dolorous Agonies and Paffions, and even to Death itself, the cruel and ignominious Death of the Cross. This, at first View, instead of furnishing Matter of Rejoicing, may feem to be only fitted to produce Sorrow and Amazement. Nothing can poffibly be more affecting than the Accounts given us by the Evangelifts of our Saviour's laft Sufferings, which were attended with whatfoever is most

grievous

grievous and fhocking to Nature. Behold him in his direful Agony and bloody Sweat, bis Soul exceeding forrowful even unto Death, condemned as an Impoftor and Blafphemer, his Head crowned with piercing Thorns, his Body torn with bloody Stripes, hanging on the Crofs between two Thieves, treated with the greatest Ignominy and Cruelty by Men, affaulted by the Powers of Darkness, and at length put to a most painful and accurfed Death: And then confider who it was that fuffered all this, the Son of God incarnate, the Divine Immanuel, who had gone about doing Good to the Bodies and to the Souls of Men; and that he was delivered up to thefe Sufferings by the determinate Counfel and Fore-knowledge of God. Acts ii. 23. It pleafed the Lord to bruife him, and to put him to Grief, as the Prophet expreffeth it, I. liii. 10, When we confider this, it is natural to inquire, what was the Cause and Defign of fo amazing a Tranfaction? Far be it from us to think that God, who delighteth not in the Pains and Sufferings of his Creatures, took Pleasure in the grievous Sufferings of his perfectly innocent and well-beloved Son, in themfelves confidered! But, as it feemed fit to the Divine Wifdom, that, in order to our being par

doned,

doned, and raised from our perifhing guilty State to the Favour of God and eternal Happiness, there should be a Mediator of infinite Dignity to interpofe on our Behalf; fo alfo that this Mediator fhould in our Nature and Stead submit to the most grievous Sufferings, to make us deeply fenfible what our Iniquities had deferved, and to manifeft God's juft Displeasure against Sin, and vindicate the Authority of his Government and Laws, even in the very Methods of our Reconciliation. Accordingly it is obferved concerning Chrift the Mediator, that he was wounded for our Tranfgreffions, and bruifed for our Iniquities; the Chaftifement of our Peace was upon him, and by bis Stripes we are healed. If. liii. 5. That be fuffered for Sins, the Just for the Unjuft, that he might bring us unto God. 1 Pet. iii. 18. and that God made him to be Sin for us, who knew no Sin, that we might be made the Righteoufness of God in him. 2 Cor. V. 2.1. And God's not fparing his own Son, but thus delivering him up for us all, is deservedly infifted upon, in the New Testament, as exhibiting the moft admirable Difplay of the tranfcendent Greatness of his Love towards us. And at the fame Time the Love of Christ, in freely giving bimfelf for us an Offering and a Sacrifice,

is