SERMON CXCII.

The fufferings of Chrift confidered, as a proper means of our falvation.

Preached on Good-Friday.

I COR. i. 23. 24.

But we preach Chrift crucified, unto the Jews a ftumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Chrift the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

T

HE fufferings of the Son of God for the fins of men, as they are a fubje&t never improper to be infifted on; fo are they more efpecially feafon

able at this time, which the Chriftian church hath for fo many ages fet apart for the folemn commemoration of them, in order to our more due preparation for the receiving the facrament at Eafter; which next after the Lord's day (which was fet apart by the Apoftles for a weekly commemoration of our Saviour's refurrection) is the first and most folemn feftival that is taken notice of in ecclefiaftical antiquity, to be generally obferved by Christians; at which time all Christians that were admitted to thofe facred myfteries, did receive the holy facrament; and for this reafon, I have pitched upon this fubject at this time.

Among all the prejudices that were raised against the Chriftian religion, when it firft appeared in the world, this was the greatest of all other, that the first author of this doctrine fhould come to fo miferable and fhameful an end, as to die upon the crofs; that the Son of God fhould be delivered into the hands of men, to be fo cruelly and ignominiously handled. This both Jews and Greeks laid hold on, as the most

popular

popular objection against Christianity, and matter of juft reproach to that religion, which pretended to be brought from heaven by the Son of God: for though he called himself the Son of God, yet he died like a man; and not only fo, but fuffered as a malefactor.

But, notwithstanding the odiuin of this objection, the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour, who were fent by him to publish his doctrine to the world, did not in the leaft endeavour to hide and diffemble the matter; but did openly, and without difguife, declare to the world, that he in whom they believed, and endeavoured to perfuade others to believe, was, for fpeaking the truth, which he had heard from God, arraigned at Jerufalem, and there by wicked hands crucified and flain. And though they knew that this feemed very foolish and abfurd, both to Jews and Gentiles, whom they defigned to convert to Chriftianity, and did extremely prejudice them against it; yet nevertheless they perfifted in the course they had begun, leaving God to do his own work, in his own way; and they found_the fuccefs of it. For though it was a very plain ftory which they told the world, and appeared even ridiculous to those who thought themselves the wifeft and ableft judges of thefe matters; yet being the truth of God, it had a mighty efficacy upon the minds of men, notwithstanding all the prejudice that was raised against it. It pleafed God by the foolishness of preaching to fave them that believe; by this doctrine, which feemed fo abfurd to human reafon, to gain many to the belief and entertainment of it.

Indeed it was not fuited to the genius either of the Jews or Gentiles; for they, according to their different ways of inftitution, expected quite another thing: ver. 22. The Jews require a fign, and the Greeks feek after wisdom. The Jews require a fign; they expected the Apostles fhould have given fome extraordinary testimony from heaven, fuch as was Elias his calling for fire down from heaven, to confume thofe that oppofed and refifted them. Such things as thefe they read of the Prophets in their law, and they expected the Mefhas would do the fame, and greater things. And though in truth he did fo, wrought more and greater miracles Да2. than

than Mofes and all the Prophets had done before him, yet their curiofity was not fatisfied; and notwithstanding the great works which he did among them, they were continually importuning him for a fign; Mat. xii. 38. Then certain of the Scribes and Pharifees answered, faying, Mafter, we would fee a fign from thee. This feems a ftrange and unreasonable demand, confidering the many and great works he had done among them, which were fo generally known. So that in all probability, it was fome particular and peculiar kind of miracle which they defired, as appears from Matth. xvi. 1. The Pharifees alfo with the Sadducees came, and tempting, defired him, that he would fhew them a fign from heaven. He had wrought many miracles on earth, in healing the fick, and opening the eyes of the blind, and the ears of the deaf, in cleanfing the lepers, and making the lame to walk; but thefe they looked upon as an inferior fort of miracles; here was all this while no extraordinary thing immediately from heaven, if they could once fee that, they would be fatisfied. But when no fuch thing was done, and at last God permitted him to die upon the cross, as an impoftor and feditious perfon; and it appeared plainly that he, who pretended to free others from difeafes, could not fave himself from death; this confirmed them in their unbelief, and upon good reafon as they thought. And that this was a fign which they particularly expected, and thought they had caufe fo to do, appears by their upbraiding of him with the want of it in the time of his fuffering, Matth. xxvii. 39. And they that puffed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and faying, thou that deftroyeft the temple, and buildeft it up in three days, fave thyself; if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. And it was not only the malice and ignorance of the common people that objected this to him; but even the Priefts, and Scribes, and Elders, infifted upon the fame thing; ver. 41. 42. 43. Likewife alfo the chief Priests mocking him, with the Scribes and Elders, faid, he faved others, himself he cannot fave: If he be the King of Ifrael, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trufted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he faid, I am the Son of God. By this paffage

you

you fee what it was the Jews expected; that if our Saviour had been the Son of God, he should have faved. himself; when they went about to crucify him, that God fhould have rescued him out of their hands, and given fome extraordinary teftimony from heaven to his. innocency; and for this reafon, the preaching of Chrift crucified was very offenfive to them: The Jews require a fign; but we preach Chrift crucified.

Such was the temper and difpofition of the Jews: but now the Gentiles, according to their way of inftitution, expected that the Apoftles fhould have difcourfed to them upon philofophical principles, and have demonftrated things to them in their way. The Greeks feek after wifdom; they were great fearchers after wifdom and knowledge, and they valued nothing but what had the appearance of it, and what was delivered with great fharpnefs of wit and reafoning, and fet off with art and eloquence. Had the Apostles pretended to fome new theory of natural or moral philofophy, and difcourfed to them about the first principles of all things, about the chief good, or about the nature of the foul, they would have heard them with great patience and delight. Nothing but deep and fubtle fpeculations, about thefe kind of arguments, did relifh with them, and please their palates. But the hiftory of our Saviour, his life, and death, and refurrection, and the plain precepts of his doctrine, were dry and infipid things to them, and were fo far from having a fhew of wisdom and philofophy, that they appeared foolish and ridiculous to them.

But the defign of God in the Chriftian religion, being not to please the humour, and gratify the curiofity of men; but really to do them good, and to reform the manners of mankind, he ufed quite another method; which how offenfive foever it might to be to thofe who thought themselves wife, yet it was really the wifeft and moft powerful means to that end: fo the Apoftle tells us here in the text; But we preach Chrift crucified, to the Jews a ftumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness: but unto them that are called, that is, to thofe whofe minds are duly prepared to confider things impartially, and to receive the truth, the power of God, and the wif

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dom

dom of God; a moft wife and powerful means to reform the world, an eminent inftance of the divine power and wisdom.

In these words, we have thefe two things confiderable:

First, The exception which the world took at the doctrine of the gofpel, upon account of our Saviour's fufferings: Chrift crucified was to the Jews a stumblingblock, and to the Greeks foolishness.

Secondly, That notwithstanding the feeming unrea fonableness and abfurdity of it, it was a moft wife and effectual contrivance for the end to which it was defigned and appointed: But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Chrift the power of God, and the wifdom of God. I fhall fpeak fomething to each of these, as briefly and plainly as I can. I begin with the

First, The exception which the world took at the dotrine of the gospel, upon account of our Saviour's fufferings. The world were generally offended at it, but not all upon the fame account; the Jews took one kind of exception against it, and the Heathen another: We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness. They were both offended at the fame thing, the low and fuffering condition of our Saviour; but not upon the fame reafon. The Jews thought, that this mean appearance and condition of our Saviour, was unfuitable to the power of God; and the Heathen, that it was not agreeable to the wifdom of men.

The Jews from the tradition of their fathers, to which (just as the church of Rome does now-a-days) they paid a greater reverence, than to the written word of God, were poffeffed with a ftrong perfuafion, that the Meffias whom they expected, and was foretold by the Prophets, was to be a great temporal prince, to appear in great fplendor and glory, to be a mighty conqueror, and not only to free them from the Roman yoke, which they were then under; but to fubdue all nations to them, and fo bring them under their dominion and government. And this did fo generally prevail among them, that even the difciples of our Saviour were as Atrongly poffeffed with this conceit, as any of the reft;

infomuch