VI.

DISC. II Thing to be confidered, namely, The circumstance of mankind beholding him, with the effect it shall produce upon them: "Every eye fhall fee him, and they "also that pierced him; and all the kin"dreds of the earth fhall wail because of " him."

The judge being feated on his throne, and all things fubdued to him," before "him fhall be gathered all nations," all the innumerable multitudes of men and women that have lived in every age, and every country. Every eye fhall see the God that made it, and commanded it to be pure and fingle. How it has fulfilled his commandment, will then be known. The fight of Christ upon his throne will be a trying fight; the effects of it will enter the heart like the piercings of a sword, and reveal all it's thoughts in the countenance; hypocrify fhall then be Every eye fhall fee him." But who shall be able to endure the fight? Even "they that pierced him" must “look

no more.

VI.

" on him whom they pierced." Pilate will DISC. behold the poor, despised Galilean, whom he scourged, and delivered to be crucified, now ready to judge him, and all the world. Herod and his men of war, who mocked and set him at nought, will fee him encompaffed with ten thousands of saints and angels, about to fpeak unto them in his wrath, and trouble them in his fore difpleasure. A corrupt temporizing Sanhedrim, who were inftant with loud voices that he might be crucified, will fee heaven and earth fly away from before the face of that prieft, of whom they, his reprefentatives, were the betrayers and murderers. They who platted and put on the crown of thorns, shall be ftruck blind with rays of glory beaming from his facred head. And they who drove the nails, and he who thrust the spear into his fide, fhall fee that fame Jefus, whom they pierced, exalted above every name that is named in heaven and earth.

But think not that the Jews, who cru

VI.

DISC. cified Chrift, are the only persons that will have reason to tremble at this fight. There are others, who may dread it, as well as they. Thofe, whofe fins, yet unrepented of, sharpened the nails, and pointed every thorn. Those careless ones, who are at eafe; whofe hearts, harder than the rocks that rent afunder at his crucifixion, remain unmoved at the fight of the Son of God, dying upon the cross for them, and calling from thence to a thoughtless world—“ Is "it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?

Behold, and fee, if there be any forrow "like unto my forrow which is done unto 68 me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted "me in the day of his fierce anger."

Bishop Taylor, in one of his Advent fermons, has an expoftulation with a finner upon this subject, which is so juft, beautiful, and affecting, and fo infinitely beyond any thing I can offer, that I shall not only have your pardon, but your thanks, for reciting it. "It was for thy fake that the "judge did fuffer unfpeakable pains, such

❝ as

"as were fufficient to reconcile all the DISC "world to God. And to confider that thou

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haft, for thy own particular, made all "this in vain and ineffective; that Chrift

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thy Lord and judge should be tormented "for nothing; that thou wouldeft not ac"cept felicity and pardon, when he pur"chafed them at fo dear a price; it must "needs be an infinite condemnation to "thee. How fhalt thou look upon him "that fainted and died for love of thee, " and thou didft fcorn his miraculous mer"cies? How fhalt thou dare to behold "that holy face which brought falvation "to thee, and thou didst turn away, and "fall in love with death, and deformity, "and fin? And yet, in the beholding that "face confifts much of the glories of eternity. Surely all the pains and the

paffions, the forrows and the groans, the

humility and poverty, the labours and "the watchings, the prayers and the fer

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mons, the miracles and the prophecies, "the whip and the nails, the death and "the burial, the fhame and the fmart, the "crofs

VOL. I.

M

VI.

VI.

DISC. "crofs and the grave of Jefus, fhall be laid upon thy score, if thou haft refused the " mercies and design of all their holy ends "and purposes. And if thou remembereft "what a calamity that was, which broke "the Jewish nation in pieces, when Christ "came to judge them, for their murdering

him, who was their king, and the prince "of life; and confidereft, that this was "but a dark image of the terrors of the day of judgment, thou mayeft then apprehend, that there is some strange un

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fpeakable evil in ftore for one who re"fufes the falvation of Jefus, and rather "chooses that Satan fhould rejoice in his "destruction, than that Jefus fhould triumph in his felicity.”

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Thus far this excellent prelate. And all who confider the matter in this it's true and proper light, cannot wonder at the effect which, as St. Jolin in the text tells us, the fight of Chrift will produce among the kindreds of the earth. They fhall wail because of Chrift, when they see him whom