LORD and SAVIOUR, , JESUS CHRIST. 117 proceeded to blame his Mailer, for men - tioning any fuch thing. For this -bold - nefs, our Lord fharply rebuked him: Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me; for thou favourell not the things that be of God, but thole that be of men. It was the falfe notions of the nature of the Meffiah's kingdom which Peter had imbibed and his love to the world; and defires after it's grandeur and glory, which induced him to utter that imprudent lan- guage, which brought fo fevere a rebuke from his Mailer. It -was; therefore, a leffon, which our Redeemer, at this time; thought peculiarly proper to inculcate, that all who would afterwards obtain that glory which belonged to the fubjeas of his kingdom, muff deny themfelves ; that is, they muff always be ready to give up every worldly pleafure, every thing which tends to gratify the fenfes, and even life itfelf, whenever the caufe of CHRIST required it. And he informed them, that whofoever purfued the glory and bleffednefs of his kingdom, in fuch a way as to be likely to obtain it, muff expert to meet with trouble, vexation, difappointment, affliaion, and diffrefs : for, our Lord declared, that he who would be his difciple, mull take up his crofs daily, and follow him. Our Lord thus opened to his difciples the true nature of his kingdom, and let them know, that it was quite the reverfe of what they had expecled : for, though they had undergone many afflictions, diffi- culties, and trials, there were greater and more fevere exercifes of their patience and fortitude Rill to come ; thefe it would be in vain to attempt to fhun or evade, for they muff follow their Mailer in the foot- ffeps of his affli&ion, which, if they at- tempted to fhun, they would fall into greater evils ; but thofe who perfevered in the way oftheir dutywithpatience and for- titude, though they might lofe their tem- poral lives, they would certainly gain an happy immortality : F'or whofoever, faid he, will fave his life, fhall lofe it; but whofoever (hall loo e his life for my fake, No. to. the fame f/iall face it. 1oe zohat is a man profited, if he (hall gain the whole zoorld, and lofe his own foul.? Or what ¡hall a 'man give in exchangefor hisIntl? Our great Redeemer; having explained to his attentive difciples, the ufage . they muff expea to find from the world, and the reproach, trouble, affliaion, and va- riety of diffrefs which they m ufl expert to go through; lie then thought proper to change the fcene, and reprefented to them the grandeur, glory, dignity, and majefly in which he fhould appear, when thofe fufferings were at an end: For the Son of man, faid he, fhall come in the glory of his Father ; and then he(hall reward every man according to his works. This confedera- tion might have been abundantly fufhcienf to quiet their minds, and reconcile them to the various difficulties, troubles, and afflictions which lay before them. Then their defpifed Mailer will appear in greater glory and dignity than the moil pompous earthly prince ; he will affume the birth- right of the fides, and fit as the fupreme judge of heaven and earth: then will hit enemies meet with the punifhment which they have fo juflly deferved, and his friends moll affuredly receive their eternal reward; but thofe who, through fear of the difficulties and troubles which lay be- fore them, have deferted his caufe, will find themfelves deferted, and finally re- jelled at that awful day ; for, faid our great Redeemer, Whofoever, therefore, (hall be a/hamed ofme and of my words in this adulterous and fitful generation, of him afo/hall the Son of man be afhamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holyangels. As this is the firft time which our ex- alted Redeemer mentioned thisgreat event to his difciples, it may not be amifs to take a Mort view of this grand, magni- ficent, awful, and molt intereffing feene. As the Son of God is the exalted perfon who !hall judge the world in righteoufnefs, let us, for a moment, contemplate the glory, grandeur, and dignity in which he F f will
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