the reign of Herod the Great, Jefus himself made his folemn entrance into our world; and John particularly pointed him out, and faid *, "Behold the "Lamb of God which taketh away the fins of the "world." He was born of the Virgin Mary after a miraculous manner, by the over-fhadowing power of the Holy Ghoft. At the time of his birth, a new ftar appeared in the eaft to conduct certain Magi, the Princes and philofophers of that country to the place of his nativity, who went and worshipped him, and offered gifts of gold and frankincenfe to him. And indeed in diftant countries, as well as in Judea, a general opinion prevailed, that there was foon to appear in the world a very great and illuftrious Perfonage. This the Meffiah really was, tho' to comport with the myfterious plans of Providence, he vailed for a feafon the refplendent glories of his original nature and character. Accordingly, he who was the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his perfon, affumed human nature, and was born in a low condition, Soon after his birth, he was obliged to fly into Egypt, to avoid the rage of Herod's cruelty, who had conceived a jealousy of him. When he was about twelve years of age, he disputed with the learned Rabbies in the temple, and converfed with the Jewish Doctors concerning the fublime truths of religion, fo that all were astonished at his knowledge and judgment. He increased in stature and wifdom, and in favour with God and man, paid filial obedience to his Virgin Mother, and to Jofeph his reputed Father, becaufe betrothed to her, and with wonderful condefcenfion ftooped to the obfcurity of private life, till about the thirtieth year of his age. Then, at that time of life fixed for the Priests under the law, to enter on the facerB dotal * John i. 29. 36, dotal function, he affumed a public character, and declared himself to be the promised Meffiah, the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world. Thefe were very high pretenfions, and to fupport them, and to convince the world of the reality and certainty of them, he appealed to the fingular excellence and fublimity of his doctrine, to many famous prophecies pronounced of him, through a series of almost four thousand years, and to the most aftonishing miracles performed by himself, He fpake as never man fpake; he taught as one having authority; and all were amazed at the gracious words which proceeded from his mouth, and at the mighty wonders wrought by his hands. It does not come within our plan here to enter into a detail of the life and actions, and doctrines of Jesus Chrift. No Chriftian can be ignorant of thefe; and a particular profecution of them would conftitute rather a theological than an hiftorical difcourse. But I would obferve, that the Son of God having fulfilled all righteousness, having finished the work which the Father had given him to do, and concluded the scene of his public ministry, which continued near four years, was caufelefsly and cruelly put to death by the Jews. But for this end he came into the world, to tafte death for every man. He fuffered the just for the unjust, that he might bring us unto God, and offered up himself a facrifice and propitiation, to atone for the fins of a guilty world. The chief priests, and fcribes and rulers of the nation were moved with envy against him, were offended at the refinement of his doctrine, whilst the exalted fanctity of his manners which shone with unrivalled luftre, upbraided their whole behaviour; and the people were disappoint ed ed as to their fecular profpects, because he refused to be King, and to erect a temporal kingdom. Thereupon their admiration was turned into rage and malice, they treated him with every imaginable indignity, and crucified him between two thieves upon Mount Calvary, without the gates of Jerufalem. He bore all with unexampled patience and magnanimity, paffed through the most mournful fcenes of ignominy and agony, with a grace and dignity becoming the Son of God, and at laft went off in a triumph of goodness and charity, praying for his enemies, and faying,-" Father forgive them, "for they know not what they do*." At that memorable juncture, the heavens were over-cast with fable darkness, the earth trembled as if moving out of its place, and all nature ftruck with the unufual and amazing fpectacle, feemed to fympathize with its fuffering Lord. This interesting and astonishing event happened when Tiberius was Roman Emperor, Pontius Pilate Governor of Judea, and Caiphas the High Priest.The body of Jefus was taken down from the cross by Jofeph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor, "Who wrapped it in fine linen, and laid it in a "fepulchre that was hewn out of a rock, wherein 66 never man before was laid." But death could not have dominion over him, neither did he fee.corruption. He had power to lay down his life, he had power to take it up again; and therefore, according to his own prediction, he rofe again on the third day triumphant from the grave. He appeared to his difciples, he eat and drank with them, converfed frequently with them, was feen by five hundred brethren at once, abode with them for the space of forty days, Luke xxiii. 34. inftructing inftructing them in the things which pertained to the kingdom of God; and afterwards, in the prefence of his Difciples, he visibly afcended up to hea ven in a glorious manner. It was confonant to reason, fuitable to the wif dom of the Son of God, and the intentions of Providence, to give a permanent establishment and perpetuity, to that divine Religion which Chrift planted in the world. He therefore took measures which were every way proper to promote fo important a purpose. He inftituted, when upon earth, a facred College of twelve Apostles. These were appointed as conftant attendants upon his perfon, to learn with exactnefs and certainty his divine doctrines, to obferve with attention his illuftrious miracles, and to witness his unfpotted innocence, the exalted goodness and dignity of his character. Them alfo he commiffioned to preach the gofpel, and in his name to work all kinds of miracles for the confirmation of it. Afterwards, the Lord appointed feventy other Difciples for the fame end, and endued them with the like miraculous powers. Some of these were afterwards infpired to record in writing the facred truths of Christianity, which might remain a standard of evangelical faith to all fucceeding generations. Some have imagined that the number of the Apoftles was an allufion to the twelve Tribes of Ifrael, whilft the feventy Difciples correfponded with the number of the Jewish Sanhedrim. Thus might be intimated, that a period was to be put to the Mofaic œconomy, that the Meffiah himself, who was now appearing, was the Head and Law-giver of the Jewish nation, and that they were to regard him and his delegates for the future as their fupreme Judges in all matters of religion. These whom whom Christ was pleafed to inftall as the Prime Ministers in his Spiritual Kingdom, were not men of eminence and distinction, famous for birth, for powerful connections, for wealth, or learning, or eloquence. The religion of Jefus, noble and divine, was fuperior to fuch extrinfic and adventitious circumstances, and the Founder of our Faith made choice of inferior inftruments to propagate it, "That the excellency of its power might appear "to be of God, and not of man that none might suspect the views of fecular ambition, or attribute fuccefs to merely natural means. Before Chrift left this world and returned unto the Father, he told his Difciples that even when abfent, he would not leave them comfortless, that he was then going to heaven, there to prepare manfions of immortal bleffedness for all his faithful fervants; and that, when feated on the Throne of his glory, he would in a moft gracious manner remember them, and from thence pour down upon them, in a miraculous manner, a plentiful portion of the Holy Spirit: That he would lead them into all truth, would teach them all things, and bring whatever he had faid to their remembrance; whilst at fame time they fhould be enabled to do greater works than even fome they had seen. Accordingly, about fifty days after Chrift's af cenfion into heaven, and when the time of Pentecoft was come, a festival instituted among the Jews, to folemnize the remembrance of receiving the law from Mount Sinai, the fiftieth day after their departure from Egypt, an event of a most extraordinary nature took place, highly favourable for the gofpel, greatly conducive to confirm the faith of the Disciples, and to qualify them for their important employment. When they were affem bled |