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DISC. train, we attend him in his progrefs to

V.

wards Jerufalem, and feem to enter with him into the holy city, while "the mul❝titude of those who go before, and those "who follow after, cry, Hofanna to the "Son of David; bleffed is he that cometh "in the name of the Lord." When we behold this fcene, as prefented to cur view at this season, we are taught to conceive by it a noble idea of Meffiah, at his first advent, ushered into the church, as her Lord and King, the prophets going before, and the apoftles following after him, all proclaiming and bearing teftimony to Jefus, all finging Hofannah to the Son of David, all pronouncing the bleffedness of him who thus cometh in the name of Jehovah. We know that this is He to whom all the prophets give witness, and that he hath fulfilled thofe things which were written of him. We know, that he hath overcome our enemies, and triumphed gloriously; that he hath erected an univerfal and everlafting kingdom, and given laws to the world; nay, that he doth govern all things

in heaven and earth.

Of the manner in DISC.

which he achieved his victories, and of the nature and extent of his kingdom, we shall have occafion to speak, as we proceed to confider the character which our prophet hath drawn of this King of Ifrael.

"He

"is juft, and having falvation, lowly, and

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"He

Righteousness, Salvation, and Humility, distinguish the person and reign of Mesfiah. Righteousness leads the "is juft, or righteous." St. Stephen, in his apology to the Jews, affirmeth the prophets to have forefhewn the coming of Jefus under the title of the Just One. "Which of the prophets have not your "fathers perfecuted? And they have flain "them which fhewed before of the coming "of the Juft One; of whom ye have been "now the betrayers and murderers"." David in fpirit thus addreffeth King Mesfiah, as we are affured by St. Paul's application of the paffage in the first chapter of

VOL. I.

b Acts vii. 52.

K

the

V.

V.

66

DIS C. the epistle to the Hebrews. "Thy throne, "O God, is for ever and ever; a fceptre "of righteousness is the fceptre of thy kingdom. Thou haft loved righteouf“ness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, " even thy God, hath anointed thee with "the oil of gladnefs above thy fellows "." Jeremiah defcribeth him as righteous himself, and as making others so. "The days "come, faith Jehovah, that I will raise "unto David a Righteous Branch: and a

King fhall reign, and profper, and shall "execute Judgment and Juftice in the "earth. And this is his name whereby he "fhall be called, JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTE"OUSNESS." And indeed, we feldom find the kingdom of Chrift mentioned, but Righteousness is immediately mentioned, as the first fruits of it. Righteousness, the Aftræa of the antients, left the earth at the fall of Adam, and returned again to vifit and to bless it, at the birth of Christ. was conceived without stain, lived without fin, and died without guilt. He converfed

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V.

in the world, yet contracted none of it's DISC. pollution, but, like his glorious emblem the light, paffed through all things undefiled. His bittereft enemies, Jews and Gentiles, joined to atteft his uprightness. "Have thou nothing to do with that just "man," said the wife of Pilate. himself, upon the ftricteft examination, declared, "I find no fault in this man." Judas, who had every poffible opportunity of knowing the character of his master, cried out, in an agony of defpair, "I have

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betrayed the innocent blood ;" and the Roman centurion, who watched at the crofs, gave in his evidence, " "Certainly, "this was a righteous man "." The kingdom which he came to establish was a kingdom of Righteoufnefs. He called men from the ways of fin by his fermons, he allured them from it's pleasures by his example, he cleansed them from it's guilt by his blood, and refcued them from it's

power by his Spirit.

• Matth. xxvii. 19.
Matth. xxvii. 4.

K 2

Where the Gospel

f Luke xxiii. 4.
h Luke xxiii. 47.

came,

DISC. came, idolatry gave place to true piety;
V. every holy and amiable temper was planted

and flourished in the hearts of the regene-
rate; and to be a Chriftian, was to be eve-
ry thing that was honeft, and juft, and
good. Thus did Jefus of Nazareth an-
fwer his title of "the Juft One," and
evince himself to be the true "Melchife-
dech," or "King of Righteousness." The
Jews chofe not to be the subjects of such a
King, and declared, they "would not have
"this man to reign over them." There-
fore the kingdom of Gcd was taken from
them, and given to a people bringing forth
the fruits thereof. Be it our care, while
we celebrate the advent of our King, not.
to forget this part of his character; and
let us reft affured, that if we would be his
fubjects, as well as pafs for fuch, and share
the bleffings of his reign, as well as talk
of them, we must be like him. His fub-
jects are his children; and none will be fi-
nally owned by him as fuch, who bear not
impreffed upon
them the fimilitude of their

Father.

Salvation

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