Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

SERMON XXXII.

HEBREWS ii. 10.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many fons unto glory, to make the Captain of their falvation perfect through Sufferings.

WHEN Chriftianity was first publish

ed to the world, the earliest objection that was raised against it, arose from the low and fuffering ftate in which its Author appeared. It was a ftumbling-block to the Jews, and feemed foolishnefs to the Greeks, that a prophet fent from heaven to enlighten and reform the world, fhould lead a life of indigence and obfcurity, and make his exit with ignominy and with pain.

If we confider the character and prevailing opinions of the Jews and the Greeks at the time when our Saviour appeared, we fhall fee the reafon of the unfavourable reception which they gave to his doctrines. The Jews had been the favourite people of God. By figns and miracles, and mighty works, he had delivered them from a ftate of flavery in Egypt, had conducted them through the wilderness, and at laft given them a fettlement in the promised land. The arm of the Lord was made bare in their behalf, the fea was divided to make way for them, and the waters ftood as a wall on their right hand and on their left. During their wanderings through the

wilderness, a pillar of fire conducted them by night, and a pillar of cloud by day. Manna defcended to them from heaven, and water sprung from the flinty rock. Accustomed to these great and marvellous exertions of the Divine power, in the days of the Meffiah they expected still greater and more marvellous. If a God was to descend, they looked for him in the whirlwind, they looked for him in the thunder, they looked for him in the earthquake, and when the still small voice came, it was neither heard nor regarded. Befides this, they had imbibed falfe notions concerning the Meffiah, and the nature of his kingdom. They misinterpreted the ancient oracles, which foretold his coming; they took the magnificent style of prophecy for literal description, and, in place of a spiritual Saviour, expected a temporal prince. Accordingly, at the time when our Saviour appeared, the whole nation was intoxicated with the idea of a triumphant conqueror, who was to deliver them from the Roman yoke, to erect an universal monarchy on earth, and to make Zion the feat of empire, and capital of the world. To perfons under the influence of these prejudices, a fuffering Meffiah was a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence.

A different set of prejudices prevailed in Greece. The Greeks were an ingenious and an active people. Situated in a fortunate climate, and bleffed with the highest degree of liberty which mankind can enjoy, they bent their genius to the cultivation of the arts. Smitten with the love of wisdom, they gave up their paternal estates to attend the school of philofophy. They journeyed from region to region, and traverfed the world, to bring home fresh acceffions of knowl

edge, and new improvements in the arts. Under these favourable circumftances, Greece arofe to fame, and beheld an age of glory, which is unrivalled in the records of hiftory. The ideas of virtue and of merit amongst any nation are founded upon the fplendid examples with which their history abounds, and upon a perfection in those arts which they cultivate, and in which they excel. The Greeks exexcelled in the arts to which the imagination gives birth, as well as in the fciences, which reafon brings to maturity, and their history abounded with the moft fplendid inftances of public fpirit, of heroic friendship, and of intrepid valour. Dazzled with the luftre of these arts, and with the glory of thefe virtues, they fixed the standard of excellence by them, and had no admiration to bestow upon the humble Prophet of Nazareth, and the mortifying doctrines of the cross. As they had been a ftumbling-block to the Jews, to the Greeks they seemed foolishness.

It is then a fubject worthy of our contemplation, to inquire into the reasons that might move Almighty God, thus, in direct oppofition to the prejudices and expectations of both Jews and Greeks, to appoint the Captain of our falvation to be made perfect by a state of sufferings. It is hence proposed to show the expediency and propriety of appointing such a Captain of our falvation. This will appear, from confidering our bleffed Saviour in these four capital views of his character: as the founder of a new re

ligion, as a pattern of all perfection, as a priest who was to make atonement, and a king who was to be crowned with glory.

In the first place, If we confider our Saviour as

the author of a new religion, his appearance in a fuffering ftate frees his religion from an objection which applies with full force to every other religion in the world.

Amongst all the nations whofe history we have recorded, the laws gave birth to the religion. The public faith was modelled by the fovereign authority, and established by the fovereign power. The prince was also the prophet. The religion which he establifhed, was fuch as fuited the genius of the people, the nature of the climate, or the views of the fovereign; and, in fhort, was nothing more than a mere engine of civil government. When we take a view of Christianity, a different scene presents itself. Here we fee a religion published by a person, obscure and unknown, amongst a nation hated and despised to a proverb, one day to become the religion of the world, and to be propagated by the efforts of a few illiterate fishermen, who had to combat against the prejudices of the Jews, the superflition of the Gentiles, the wifdom of the philofophers, the power of armies and of kings, the ancient fyftems of religion established over the whole world, and the combined wit and genius and malice of all mankind.

Had our Saviour appeared in the pomp of a temporal prince, as the Jews expected him; had he appeared in the character of a great philofopher, as the Greeks would have wifhed him, often had we heard of his power and of his policy, and been told, that our religion was more nearly allied to this world than to the other. But when we hear the Author of our faith declaring from the beginning, that he muft fuffer many things in his life, and be put to an igno

minious and tormenting death; when we hear him forewarning his difciples, that they were to meet with the fame fate, these suspicions must for ever vanish from our mind. Thus our religion ftands clear of an objection, from which nothing, perhaps, could have purged it, but the blood of its divine Author.

In the fecond place, If we confider our Saviour as a pattern of virtue and all perfection, the expediency of his appearing in a fuffering ftate will further be evident.

One great end of our Saviour's coming into the world was to fet us an example, that we might follow his steps. But, unless his life had been diversified with fufferings, the utility of his example had been in a great measure defeated. What we generally call a perfect character, is a cold infipid object, that does not intereft mankind. Were it poffible for nature to realize the man of virtue, as drawn by those who mifrepresent the Stoic philofophy; a man without the feelings of nature, and the weaknesses of humanity, proof against the influence of paffion, and the attacks of pain; we would turn aside from such a caricatura of humanity, and exclude the faultlefs monfter from the number of our species. No example can make any impreffion upon the minds of men, but the example of men of like paffions with themselves. Let us suppose, that the life of an angel were exhibited to the world, it might afford a pleasant subject of contemplation. But the queftion would naturally arife, What is this to me? This does not belong to my nature; I difcover here no traces of my own character, no features of humanity. On the other

Y y

« AnteriorContinuar »