દ "God that prophet whom Moses had foretold, "would raise up among them like unto himself;"* that is, to be, as he had been, a lawgiver, to institute a new dispensation of the true religion; and their refusal involved them, as a nation, in the punishment which Moses had likewise denounced against those who should refuse to hearken to him. Thus their peculiar advantage in possessing a divine revelation, while the rest of mankind were left ignorant of the will of God, proved an aggravation of their guilt, and rendered their obstinacy more inexcusable, and their condemnation more severe. I am bound to take every opportunity of noticing the striking parallel in this respect, between the Jewish nation in our Saviour's time, and the nations, who, since that period, have admitted the New Testament as a revelation from God. By assuming the Christian name, and so far calling the Saviour Lord, while they reject the spirit and design of the Gospel, and treat the ministers of it with neglect or contempt, they tread in the steps, and share in the guilt, of those who pretended to expect MESSIAH, and yet crucified him when he appeared among them. In person he could be crucified but once; but the Scripture speaks of those who " crucify the Son of God afresh, and "put him to open shame." How far this is the case of the persons who can bear to hear of his passion and his kingdom when made the subject of a musical entertainment, but upon no other occasion, deserves their serious consideration. II. The exhortation can only be complied with by those who are sensible of their need of a Saviour, and his authority and ability to save. To these the prophet brings a joyful message, and they will * Deut. xviii. 15-19. Acts, vii. 37. 66 rejoice and shout." The joy of harvest,* and of the victors in war when dividing the spoil of the vanquished, is celebrated with shouting. But sinners, who, by the knowledge of MESSIAH, are delivered from going down into the pit, from the dominion of the powers of darkness, and are translated into the kingdom of God, experience a joy far superior, in kind and degree, to any satisfaction that temporal things can afford. It is " a joy unspeakable and full of glory."t Jesus, when known and received by faith, is, in the highest sense, light to those who sat in darkness, health to the sick, food to the hungry, and rest to the weary soul. Thus many rejoiced in his goodness when he was upon earth; and he still has a people, and will have to the end of time, who do and shall rejoice in him upon these accounts, though every spring of temporal joy should be dried up. They who know his name, and put their trust in him, are warranted to appropriate those strong expressions of another prophet, "Although the fig-tree shall "not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine, the "labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall " yield no meat, the flocks shall be cut off from the "fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet "I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God "of my salvation."‡ III. The ground and cause of this joy is assigned, "Thy King cometh." MESSIAH is a king. This title he avowed to Pilate, by whose order it was fixed over him upon his cross. That this was not a slight and arbitrary circumstance, but providential and important, we may, I think, infer from the care taken by the evangelists to preserve the remembrance of it, for it is recorded by them all. † 1 Pet. i. 8. § Mark, xv. 2. * Isa. ix. 3. He is, indeed, King of kings, King and Lord of nations, King of worlds; but he is here spoken of as King of Zion. The kingdom he came to establish upon earth is not of this world, nor like the kingdoms of the world. The maxims, language, interests, and aims of it, are peculiar to itself. His power and providence rule over all; but he is only known, admired, and willingly obeyed by the subjects of his spiritual kingdom, who, though they are in the world, are not of it, but "strangers and pilgrims upon earth." Their oxirevμa, their * πολίτευμα, 66 true citizenship, is in heaven. These are his peculiar people. And though they partake with others in the changes and trials incident to this mortal life, and have their several departments and duties assigned them according to his will, as members of society, and it does not yet appear what they shall be ;† they are even now the children and servants of the Lord, and he manifests himself to them as he does not to others. Happy are these his subjects who dwell under his shadow. He rules them, not with that rod of iron by which he bruises and breaks the power of his enemies, but with his golden sceptre of love. He reigns by his own right, and by their full and free consent, in their hearts. He reigns upon a throne of grace, to which they have at all times access; and from whence they receive, in answer to their prayers, mercy and peace, the pardon of all their sins, grace to help in every time of need, and a renewed supply answerable to all their wants, cares, services, and conflicts. So that, though they are surrounded with snares, and fiercely opposed by many enemies, they cannot be overpowered, for the Lord himself is their King and their Saviour. We have, "He is just IV. Two characters of this King. "having salvation," or, as it is in the passage of the Messiah, "He is a righteous Saviour." In 1. "He is righteous." His kingdom is founded in righteousness. It is the effect and reward of his obedience unto death, by which he made an end of sin, and brought in an everlasting righteousness. As his people receive and expect all from his hand, so likewise for his sake. Such is his command, and such is his promise. "If ye shall "ask any thing in my name, I will do it." pleading their cause, and managing their concerns, he is their righteous advocate. And therefore, because his intercession is founded upon a righteous stipulation, which he has completely fulfilled, he does not say, Father," I ask, but, "I will, that those whom thou hast given me, "be with me where I am, that they may behold "my glory." 66 2. He is a " Saviour;" having salvation in himself; yea, "He is their salvation." His wisdom, power, compassion, and determined purpose, are all engaged to save them fully, freely, and for ever; to save them from guilt, from Satan, and from sin, through all the dangers and trials of this life; to save them to the uttermost, till he fixes them finally out of the reach of all evil, and puts them in possession of all the happiness of which their natures are capable, in a conformity to his own image, and the enjoyment of unclouded, uninterrupted communion with God. V. His great design was not confined to Israel after the flesh." He shall speak peace to the Hea"then" also. His kingdom comprises, besides the believing posterity of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, *John, xiv. 14.. + John, xvii. 24. † Isa. xii. 2. a great multitude gathered from amidst all nations, people, and languages, "from the east and the "west, from the north and the south."* Though the Heathen were universally alienated from God, by evil works and an evil conscience, he has undertaken to reconcile them, and to bring those near who were once afar off. By their knowledge. of him, their prisons shall be opened, their chains broken,† their condemnation reversed, and they shall be renewed, and accepted in the Beloved, as the true children of Abraham. He shall likewise conciliate peace between Jew and Gentile, make of both one people, pulling down the walls of separation and prejudice, that with one heart and mind they may love, serve, and praise him. For where faith in him obtains, all distinctions are lost and superseded. "There is" then, "neither Greek "nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, bar"barian, Scythian, bond nor free; but Christ is "all, and in all."§ Much has been already done by the Gospel. Multitudes have been turned from darkness to light, and from the worship of dumb idols to serve the living and true God. And we expect a time when this promise will be more extensively and literally fulfilled; when the kingdom shall be the Lord's to the end of the earth; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, all Israel be saved, and the nations shall learn war no more. From these characters of the Saviour, we may collect the character of his people. For they beholding his glory, are changed (according to the measure of their faith) into the same image. The incommunicable perfections of God, such as his * Luke, xiii. 28, 29. + Isa. xlv. 14. § Col. iii. 11. |