20 HOLY FORTITVDE. fsERM. xxxh. sellers out of his Father's house of prayer ! Ye know what a noble testimony he bare to the truth, when he was called before the great men, the rulers of the church and state. You know again, what instances of passive coil-. rage our Lord Jesus manifested, when he was hatefully reproached, and suffered shameful indignities from a rude multitude : When he was persecuted, whenhe was buf- feted, when he wrestled with many and mighty sorrows, when his friends left him alone in the hands of his cruel enemies. It must be confessed, his spirit trembled within him, and he was sore amazed, when it - pleased his Father " to bruise him, and put him to grief, and to make his soul an offering for sin,' Is. liii. 10. These were unknown and inexpressible burdens, that made him groan indeed, and offer strong cries and tears to heaven, that the cup of terror might pass from him. If ever his courage seemed to fail him, it was in that agony in the garden, when he endured more than any mere man could bear. A formi- dable and a dismal hour, when the Father hid his face from him, and the powers of darkness fell upon him with angelic might and fury ! But these are sorrows of atone- ment, which the saints are never called to suffer. And yet by secret divine supports, Jesus endured all these agonies, and upon the cross he triumphed -not- only over the malice of men, but " over principalities and powers of hell, and made an open shew of them," Col. ii. 15. perhaps, before armies of the invisible world, and mil- lions of applauding angels. Read the sacred advice, Ileb. xii. 1, 2, s. Not only look ye, says the apostle, to the great cloud of witnesses that are gone before, but above all look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, and despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. .Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself," that opposed a multitude, a le- gion, a world of sinners, lest you be weary and faint in your minds, nor let your spirits sink while you behold his divine fortitude : Let such an illustrious scene -animate your souls, and inspire the fainting believer with new courage. Consider, Thirdly, What you are ; if you are christians, ye are i
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=