CHRIST'S CROSs and CROWN, viewed from Pfal. Of the Redeemer's Humiliation or Cross. CHAP. I. Of Christ's active obedience, or of his waiting, waiting patiently, and crying, CHAP. II. Of the Meffiah's paffive obedience, or PARTII. Of the Redeemer's Exaltation and Crown. CHAP. I. Of the Father's inclining unto him, CHAP. II. Of the Father's bringing up the Man Christ out of the horrible pit and miry clay, CHAP II. Of the Redeemer's triumph over the hearts of finners upon earth. "Many shall SERMON I. II. AND CROWN, VIEWED From PSALM Xl. 1, 2, 3. I waited patiently for the LORD, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and fet my feet upon a rock, and establisbed my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praises unto our God: many shall fee it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. INTRODUCTION. T HE promises, prophecies, and doctrines of the Old Testament, meet in Jesus Christ, as the different radii, from whatever point of the circumference, meet in the center. They have all a regard, more immediate or remote, to him; and can only afford encouragement and confolation to finners, as they respect the Saviour. There are a variety of passages in the Old Testament writings, A - which 1 which have fuch a direct and evident relation to the Meffiah, that almost no Christians difagree in the application of them; but there are others, tho' no less expressive of the Messiah, in his humbled or exalted state, or both, which are not univerfally viewed in that light. Of these we take the passage now mentioned to be one: for though generally these verses are confidered as pointing out the exercife of David, the then church, or after faints, they are more probably a prophetical description of his exercise who is David's Lord, the church's,head, and the king of faints, namely, of the Old Teftament Meffiah, our New Testament Redeemer; and they are so, chiefly, because we find the 6th, 7th, and 8th verses of that psalm quoted and applied to Jefus Christ, by the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, in the xth chapter of that epistle, 5th, 6th and 7th verses; and having an inspired commentator to copy after, we need have no reluctance in treading his steps *. Besides, the repeated mention our Lord makes of what was written of him in the pfalms, as well as by Mofes and the prophets, corroborates the prefumption; and fur ८८ * The original text runs thus : " Sacrifice and offering thou didst not defire, mine ears haft thou opened: burnt-offering and fin-offer"ing halt thou not required. Then faid I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of "me: I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, "thy law is within my heart." The quotation by the apostle runs thus : "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he " faith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body haft thou prepared me: in burnt-offerings, " and facrifices for fin thou haft had no pleasure: then "faid I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is " written of me) to do thy will, O God." J ther ther justifics the application of that passage to him †. To which it need scarce be added, that in the Arts of the apostles, we are informed of their following that immaculate pattern, once, again and again ‡, for the imitation, doubtless, of after faints, in their study of the Old Testament scriptures. PARTI. Of the REDEEMER'S Humiliation or Cross. CHAPI. Of Christ's active obedience, or of his waiting, waiting patiently, and crying. "Be HIS waiting for the Father fays, that, as the Messiah, or Christ, he stood and acted in the capacity of the Father's servant; and did fo in the different regards to be mentioned: according to the doctrine of the holy Ghost, Pfal. cxxiii. 2. where the church is represented as faying, "hold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hands " of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto "the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon "the Lord our God." For our Lord, in his mediatory character, is denominated the Father's fervant, both by Old and New Testament writers. The prophet represents the Father as faying of Christ the Messiah, "Behold my Servant whom I † Luke xx. 42. and xxiv. 44. Acts ii. 25, 26, 27, 23. and xiii. 33, 35. A 2 " uphold; |