28o i e Oarinottpof tie 2(ttríbutev Ch. r 5 The yews were pleafed with the titles ofhonour given to thé cnivMeah, that he fhould be a King, powerful and glorious ; but that poverty, difgrace and the fuffering Death fhould be hischaracter, they could not endure : therefore they endea- voured to pervert the fenfe of the Prophets. His Difciples who attendedhim in his mean ftate,expe ted thofe fad appear. ances would terminate in vifible Glory and Grearnefs : but when they lawhim arrefted by his Enemies, condemned and crucified, this was fo oppofite to their expectation, that they fainted under the difippointment ; and whenChrift . was Preacht to theGentile World, they rejected him with (corn. His Death feemed fo contrary to the Dignityofhis Perlon and thedeftgn of his Office, that they couldnot relilh the Do- trineof the Gofpel. They judged it abfurd, to expect Life from one that was fubjeted to Death, and Bleffednefs from De truce him that was made a Curfe. To thofe who look on the ei riRi "°- Y Deathof Chrift with the eyes of carnal wifdom, and accord- tánrsl}>i ing to the Laws of corrupt Reafon, it appears folly enter n")"s and weaknefs, and molt unworthy of God : but. if we con- mundi, & y dicuut, rider it in its principles and ends, all the prejudices vanilh, "ale COL and we clearly dilcover it to be the molt noble and eminent hrbetis, y qui D.um effeet.ofthe Wifdom, Power, Goodnefs and Juftice of God. ërucsY- Accordingly the Apoftle tells the ,Yews; Him being delivered um ? Aug, by the determinate counfel, and foreknowledgofGod, theyhave Serm, de takenandby wickedhandshave crucified and (lain. The in- YC1b'Ap°P. ftruments were deeply guilty in, (bedding that immaculate Blood`; yet wemutt not terminate our thoughts on them, but afcend to the fupreme Difpofer, by whofe wife and. holy Decree that event came to pats. To the eye ofSenfe 'twas a a fpectacle of horrour, that a perfect Innocent fhould be cru- elly tormented; but to the eye of Faith, under that fad and ignominious appearance, there was a Divine Myftery, able to raife our wonder, and ravifh our affections. For he that was nailed to the Crofs, was really the. Son of God, and the Saviourof Men : his Death with all the penal cir-
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