630 THE GLORY OF CHRIST AS GOD-MAN. waited on him at mount Sinai, when in majesty -and terror he delivered the law Consider this very person abused; reproached, and called a blasphemer and a devil, who was the fairest image, and the delight of God his Father, and rejoicing always in his presence before the earth or her mountains were made : Look upon this innocent, this holy soul arraigned, at the impious tri- bunal of Pilate, and condemned to the shameful cross as a scan- dalous malefactor. See the ancient and original King of Israel, who had made David and Solomon, and all their race his deputies for many generations ; see him crowned with thorns instead of glory ; see him scourged, buffetted, nailed to the cursed tree between two thieves, his hands and feet pierced, his limbs stretched out in grievous torture, and himself groaning and expiring in blood and anguish. Behold this original favourite forsaken of God his Father in that dreadful hour of darkness, and assaulted by the armies of hell with rage and impudence arid horrid tempta- tions': Think of this holy soul just departing, his soul by the force of exquisite torment perhaps driven out the sacred man- sion of his flesh, even that body which the Father had prepared for him ; he was banished out of this world by those very cri- minals, those merciless rebels for whose salvation he carne down todwell in it. Think of that ancient ,darling of heaven, now . made the sport of the Jewish rabble, a sacrifice both to the fury of men and to the arrows of vindictive .justice, while he was amazed with inward agonies, and his soul exceeding sorrowful even unto death, when the sword of God awoke against the shep- herd of his Israel, against the man that was his neighbour, his Companion before the angels were made. Collect all these strange and astonishing ideas together, sur- vey them' in one view, and say, how. divinely glorious was the love of God in parting with such a Son from his bosom ! How amazing was the condescension and self-denial of this glorious Saviour in giving himself for us ! How inimitable was his sub- mission to his heavenly Father's will ! His zeal for his Father's honour, and his god-like charity and compassion to sinful man ! When we contemplate his holy soul in his pre- existent and exalted state, fore-knowing and surveying all these indignities, these agonies and deaths, and yet resolving to descend into flesh at his Father's proposal, and to endure them all for the redemption of sinners, to what an inconceivable height of sa- cred astonishment doth this raise all the wonders of his painful life and his love ! and how cloth it awaken all that is tender in the bosom of a christian, and penetrate the very heart with di- vine affection and gratitude to the Son of God his Saviour: When we conceive of this pre- existent soul of Christ, this glorious, this holy and happy Spirit, with pleasare consenting to
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