itself, not regularly, but in various Instances. Many good Chriftians have complained of a Coldness sometimes in their Devotion, and of wandering and roving Thoughts; which is, without doubt, one of thofe Weakneffes that shall be forgiven to pious and fincere Christians. Will you then make this one of your Sins of Infirmity, an Evil that carries its Excufe always with it? Surely no: For, though it shall be forgiven some, it will be an Aggravation of the Guilt of others, who have not the fame fincere Obedience and good Difpofition to plead in their Excufe. Some are troubled with impious and blafphemous Thoughts, unworthy Conceptions of God and Chrift, and fuffer a prodigious Torment and Anxiety of Mind because of them, who are Objects of Pity and Compaffion both to God and Man: And when this is the Cafe of well-difpofed Perfons, who are no ways confenting to them, there feems to be as little Guilt in them, as in a Fever or an Ague.

Upon the whole then: Since there is fo little Reafon to depend upon this Excuse, and fince all Men in fome Degree ftand in need of it, I will fhew you the Way, and I know but one Way of entitling ourselves to thịs

Plea,

Plea, which is by endeavouring fincerely and univerfally to obey the Will of God; then fhall we be in the Number of those, whose Infirmities for the fake of Chrift fhall be forgiven.

DISCOURSE

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DISCOURSE X.

ISAIAH liii. 3.

He is defpifed and rejected of Men, a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Grief.

W

HEN our Lord was led away to be crucified, and the Women bewailed and lamented his Mifery, he turned about to them, and faid, Daughters of Jerufalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourfelves. Words, which we may very properly apply to ourselves for the Direction of our Devotion on this Day of his Crucifixion : A Day it is of Sorrow and Mourning, but not for his fake, who, crowned with Glory and Honour, is fet down on the right Hand of the Majesty on high; but for our own, whose Sins brought down this Load of Woe and of

Mifery upon our bleffed Redeemer. If we confider with how unbounded a Love he embraced us in our loweft State of Weaknefs, and with how cool an Affection we daily approach to him; how much he gladly endured upon our Account, and how unwillingly we fuffer any thing upon his; if we reflect how earnestly he laboured to fave our Souls, and how carelessly and wantonly we throw them away; what Pains and Sorrows he underwent to perfect our Redemption, and to what empty Pleasures we facrifice all his Sufferings, and our own eternal Happinefs, it will fhew us where the true Caufe of our Grief lies, and how vainly we compliment our Lord, by venting our Indignation against his antient Crucifiers, which ought to be spent upon ourselves, who are daily renewing his Shame, and crucifying him afresh.

Whilft therefore I reprefent unto you this Scene of Woe, and endeavour to place before you this Man of Sorrow, acquainted with Grief, let every Chriftian Heart fupply this neceffary Admonition, All this he suffered for my fake; then caft one Look upon yourfelves, and fee how you have deferved all this Love: This will teach you how to divide your Affections, to admire and adore the un bounded

bounded Goodness of your Redeemer, and to lament and weep only for yourselves.

Many Prophecies there are relating to our Lord, which regard only fome particular Actions and Circumstances of his Life; but this in the Text points at no fingle Calamity that befel him, but is a general Description of his Condition during his Abode on Earth: It begins at his Cradle, and ends with his Cross, pursuing him in every Step, and difcovers to us the Son of God through the darkest Veil of Sorrow and Affliction.

Known unto God are all his Works from the Beginning of the World: In Wifdom he ordained them all, and in Mercy he has revealed fome of them to the Children of Men. How gracious was it in him to forewarn the World by the Spirit of Prophecy of the mean Appearance of their Redeemer, that their Faith might be armed against the Reproach and Contempt which attended his Poverty, and the great Scandal of his Cross! In human Reckoning a mean Condition, befpeaks a mean Man; but here the Cafe is otherwife: For, when God had foretold the mean Appearance of his Son, his Poverty became a Proof of his Authority, and the Lowness of his Condition fhewed the Excellency

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