glowed among the people for many ages of the republic; one hero fprung from the afhes of another; and great men arofe from age to age, who devoted themselves to death for the public good. Thefe being the most celebrated actions in the history of mankind, the Apoftle here compares them with the death of Jefus Christ. Following the train of thought fuggefted by the Apoftle, I fhall fhow you the infinite fuperiority of that love which prompted Jefus to die for the fins of the world, to that patriotifm which prompted the heroes and great men of old to die for their friends or for their country.

In the first place, then, Thofe who devoted themfelves to death for their friends or their country, fubmitted to a fate which they must one day have fuffered. But Jefus Chrift, who is the true God and poffeffeth eternal life, fubmitted to death for our redemption.

We are all born mortal creatures. Sprung from the duft, we return to the duft again. The fentence of the Lord is paffed upon all flesh, and there is no exemption from the law of mortality. We know not how foon our laft hour may come. The darts of death are continually on the wing; the arrow of deftruction flieth by night, and fmiteth at noon-day; victims are daily falling at our right hand and at our left, and we know not how foon we too may fall a facrifice. He, therefore, who expofes himself to danger, or devotes himself to death for the good of others, only anticipates the evil day, only refigns a life which he must foon part with, and fubmits to a doom which fooner or later he muft lay his account to endure. But Jefus Christ

was the King eternal and immortal. His outgoings were from everlafting, and he is God bleffed forever. He would have remained happy in himself, happy in the contemplation and enjoyment of his own perfections, happy in the adminiftration and government of the moral world, though he had nev er caft an eye of pity upon mortal man. He would have inherited the praifes of eternity though man had never been redeemed. Yet for our fakes he left the glories of the heavens, he veiled his Divinity in a form of flesh, he took our nature with all its infirmities upon him, he fubmitted to every affliction which embitters human life, and he suffered an excrutiating, an ignominious and an accurfed death. For the falvation and the happinefs of the world which he had made, the King of kings appeared in the form of a fervant, and the Lord of life was crucified at Jerufalem. A crown of thorns was put on that head where the diadem of nature was wont to fit. Where is the deed of human virtue that can stand in comparison with this meritorious exertion of the Divine benevolence? All the perfection of created nature fades before it, and is but a foil to fet off the brightnefs of redeeming love.

In the second place, Thofe among the fons of men who devoted themselves to death for the good of others, made the facrifice for their friends, for those by whom they were beloved; but Jefus died for his enemies.

We are united to our friends by the strongest ties of affection, we are interested in all that befals them, and adopt their joys or their forrows. Long habits of attachment, and a mutual intercourse of good of

fices, draw close the cords of friendship, and make

them twine with every string of life. Hence we are fellow-fufferers with our friends in diftrefs, we are afflicted in all their afflictions, fo that fuffering a great temporal evil for them, is in reality removing a load from our own minds. Thus ftrongly are we attached to our friends, nor is the charm lefs which binds us to the community. The facred name of country, ftrikes us with veneration; we feel an enthufiafin for our native land; when it is in danger, hardships are cheerfully undergone, and death fcarce appears an evil in fuch a glorious caufe. Such inducements there are to him who dies for his friends. or his country. But Jefus died for the redemption of his enemies, for those who threw off their allegiance to him, who rebelled against his authority, and rofe up in arms against their benefactor. Their groans would never have reached his ear, nor afflicted his heart, had he not graciously inclined to fympathize. The misery of mankind would never have difturbed the happiness of the Divine nature, would never have thrown a cloud over the ferenity of the heavens, nor made a paufe in the alleluiahs of the bleffed, had he not chofen to bear their forrows. It was unmerited goodness, it was fovereign mercy, it was pure benevolence, it was love truly divine, that moved him to interpofe in our behalf. He faw the race of men on the very brink of deftruction, he faw the bottomless pit just opening to swallow them up, and in the moment of danger, the Redeemer appeared, gracious to pity, mighty to fave. A cloud had long been gathering over the nations, the hand of the Omnipotent was stretched out in wrath, the thunder

of his power was ready to burft over a devoted world; when the Patron and the Interceffor of the human race stepped in, and stayed the avenging arm with the words of mercy:." Lo I come to do thy "will. Sacrifice and burnt-offerings thou dost not "defire. On me let thine anger fall. Let me die "that these may live."

In the third place, He who dies a martyr for the public good, departs with honor; but Jefus made his departure with ignominy and fhame.

It is honorable, it is glorious, to die for the public good. He who falls a martyr to the happiness of mankind, is fupported by the native fortitude of the foul, is carried forward by the consciousness of a good caufe, is encouraged with the admiration and applause of the world, and becomes famous to all fucceeding times. To him the temple of fame fpontaneous opens its gate, his name is repeated with applaufe, honors are paid to his memory, and he is the heir of perpetual praife. Circumftances of fuch a nature take away the terror of death. The fecret consciousness of a great foul, the approach of an event which is fo glorious in itself, and fo beneficial to the world, the anticipation of the praises of fucceeding times, exalt the man, and fill him with the elevation and magnanimity of virtue. Few enjoyments in life can be compared with a death so glorious. But Jefus Chrift fubmitted to the ignominious death of the cross. The greatest trial and exercise of virtue, is when an innocent man fubmits to the imputation of a crime that others may be free from the punishment. This our Lord did. In his life he was branded with the blackest names, and accu९९

fed of the most flagitious crimes; branded with the names of publican and finner, accused of affociating with the profligate, and of being in compact with the powers of darkness. But at his latter end, in a peculiar manner, he endured the fhame. He was betrayed like an impoftor by one of his own difciples, apprehended like a robber by a band of foldiers, led like a malefactor through the streets of Jerufalem, nailed like a murderer to the accurfed tree, and in the fight of Ifrael died the death of a traitor and a slave, that he might atone for the real guilt of men. In all these respects the merit of Jefus was infinitely fuperior to the heroifm of men. As the heavens are higher than the earth, as the Moft High God excels the offspring of the duft, fo much fuperior was his love to their beneficence.

To conclude, Let me afk you, my brethren, what impreffion does the love of Jefus make upon your hearts, what influence does it exert upon your lives? They whofe minds are dazzled with the idea of false glory, with arms and conquefts and fields of battle, and triumphal proceffions and fongs of victory, may not be difpofed to relifh thofe acts of heroifm which have nothing of the fword in them. But to the mind that is freed from vulgar prejudice, and acquainted with true glory, the triumphs of Jefus will appear the greater that they are the triumphs of peace, that they were not obtained at the expence of flaughtered thoufands, nor erected on the ruin of nations, but rofe on the bafis of general hap piness, and everlasting life to all good men. Are you then actuated with a proper sense of gratitude to this Captain of our falvation? The