that fear which is the sum of obedience and the essence of adoration, and which, in his state, was accompanied with infirmities and feelings of flesh and blood. Obedience and adoration were in his prayer; and his agony itseif, in one consideration, was suffering affliction, and, in another, subjection to the will and obedience to the commandment of his Father. Prayer and agony, united with reverential and holy fear, while the Son of God was under the curse, is a mysterious union, which at present, though it transcend our comprehension, we desire to look into as a spiritual and gracious affection. By him desponding fear, under the operation of the curse, was effectually resisted; and godly fear, inclusive of obedience and adoration, was perfectly exemplified.

In the second place, We shall collect several principles which gave force to the operation of fear in the Son of God under his agony, in the days of his flesh.-1. His apprehensions of the glory and majesty of his Father were clear and sublime. In his soul there was no darkness at all. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God shining in his heart, he beheld his Father in all the glory and majesty of the godhead. But though perfectly holy, and subsisting in his person, his human nature was in a state of weakness and mortality; and from the presence of his Father, and the glory of his holiness, received impressions of reverence and godly fear, accompanied with the weaknesses and feelings of that state.-2. His burden was heavy, and pressed his suffering nature to the ground. Sin, under which the whole creation groans and travails in pain, lay upon him; and, with the weight of its sorrows, and the strength of the curse due to it, oppressed every power of his holy soul, and every member of his holy body. Under the oppression of this burden, "he "began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy," and to feel it "a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the "living God."—3. His sensations of the wrath and curse of God were deep and piercing. Without offering apology, as if the terms were too harsh, the apostle saith expressly, "Christ was made sin," and "made a curse." To our nature, in whatever state it be, there is dreadfulness in the wrath of God, which is denounced by the curse of his holy law; and when the Son of God, in the weakness and likeness of sinful flesh was under the curse, the sor

rows and terrors of wrath came in upon him like a full sea, and filled his suffering nature, though subsisting in his person, with holy amazement.-4. His temptations were violent and extraordinary. In the days of his flesh, and under his sufferings, the chains of the prince of this world and his angels were lengthened, and leave given to exert themselves to the uttermost against the purpose of the Son of God. The presence of these impudent and abominable spirits, visible to his piercing eye, and their derisive and blasphemous attempts, by theinselves and by their speakers and agents, to break his strength, drew on a conflict with these adversaries, in which his soul was wounded, or his heel bruised.-5. The sorrows of death drew up and stood before him in battle array. It was not dying simply, as the separation of soul and body, that stood before the Son of God in the days of his flesh, but dying under the curse, and upon the cross. But while his soul was offering for sin, and sorrowing even unto death, every desponding and gloomy apprehension which attacked his faith was resisted and broken, and full assurance of his hope of a resurrection by the glory of the Father held firm unto the end. Thy right hand, triumphant Sufferer, doth ever valiantly!

The sense in which the Son of God under his agony, in the days of his flesh, was heard is to be ascertained and illustrated in the third place. He was answered-strengthened-accepted-raised, and glorified.-1. The prayers and supplications, which in the days of his flesh the Son of God offered up unto him who was able to save him from death, were answered. His voice in the garden reached unto heaven, and his words entered into the ears of his holy Father. The desire of his heart, "Father glorify thy "name," was granted; and the request of his lips, "Father, "glorify thy Son, that thy Son may also glorify thee," was not refused. "Father, if it be possible, let this cup "pass from me," was a cry of suffering nature, a proof of the pangs which it felt, and heard in the sense in which it was offered. His prayer was heard and answered in all its extent, according to the desire of his heart; and, in the twenty-second Psalm, the hearing of it is a subject of praise unto the whole church: "Ye who fear the Lord, "praise him; all ye seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye seed of Israel: for he hath not despis

"ed nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither "hath he hid his face from him, but when he cried "unto him, he heard."-Observe the connexion, and endeavor to understand the meaning of these words. The afflicted is the suffering person, who, in the beginning of the Psalm, had cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou “forsaken me?" His affliction, described in the former part of the Psalm, is supposed, in the latter part of it, to be ended. This affliction, begiming in his birth, and ending at his death, was not despised nor abhorred. Instead of despising and abhorring it, his God and Father beheld with complacency his beloved Son, and his afflicted and suffer. ing servant; heard his cry, accepted and raised him from the dead, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, to the joy of all the Israel of God.-2. His fatigued and dying nature was strengthened. The Son of God in our nature, is "mighty to save," and "travelled," all the days of his flesh, "in the greatness of his strength." But heaviness and weariness, the likenesses of sinfui flesh, behoved to be felt; and when these were felt, a ministring spirit from the throne appeared and strengthened his sorrowful and oppressed nature, in enduring the heat and power of the anger of his righteous Father, which it was the desire of his heart to endure.-3. His sacrifice was accepted; and, in the odour of perfection, came up before his Father with a sweet-smelling savour. Before he appeared in our nature, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, Jehovah says, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom "my soul delighteth." In the days of his flesh, the Father proclaimed twice from the excellent glory, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased' After he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, the apostle saith, "Christ hath loved us, and hath given "himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a "sweet swelling savour."-4. His body was raised from the dead, and saw no corruption. David, speaking concerning him, saith, by the spirit of prophecy, "My flesh "shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in "hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see cor"ruption." On the day of the Holy Ghost, Peter saith, in the temple of Jerusalem, "Whom God hath raised up, "having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possi"ble that he should be holden of it." And afterward, in

the house of Cornelius, "Him God raised up the third day, "and shewed him openly; not to all the people, but unto "witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat "and drink with him after he rose from the dead."-5. He was received up into heaven, crowned with glory and honor, and made captain of salvation, to bring unto glory the multitude of sons. "We see Jesus, who was made a lit"tle lower than angels, for the suffering of death, crowned "with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should "taste death for every son. For it became him, for whom "are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing "many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their sal"vation perfect through sufferings." Upon the whole, Answering his supplications, strengthening his dying nature, accepting his sacrifice, raising him from the dead, and giving him glory, are infallible proofs of his being heard in that he feared.

After illustrating the several parts of our text, some applications are proper for reproof, correction, and instruction, unto the peculiar people who are in the fellowship of God's dear Son, in the first place; and, in the second, unto the children of disobedience, who will not enter into this holy fellowship.

"Holy Brethren, Consider the Apostle and High Priest "of our profession," "who in the days of his flesh offered "up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and "tears, unto him who was able to save him from death, and "who was heard in that he feared." Consider his infirmities, consider his temptations, consider his conflict, consider his example, consider his acceptance, and consider his divinity. You have considered already, but it is necessary to consider again

His infirmities. In the days of his flesh, the High Priest of our profession took upon him the infirmities of our nature, and troubled himself with the essence of all that is uneasy and grievous in hunger and thirst, and labour and sorrow. Though sinless, his infirmities were painful and grievous. He felt, and was touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Now, what should the holy nation, in the days of their flesh, expect, but touches and feelings of infirmity? One is hungry, and another is thirsty; some are troubled for their relations, and some are troubled by

them; some are reproached, some are tempted, some are oppressed; some are in heaviness, spending their days in grief, and their years in sorrow and sighing. And why should you expect to be otherwise? Is there not a need be for seasons of heaviness, and manifold temptations, and for touches and feelings of infirmity in these seasons? And do we well to be angry, and angry even unto death, for the withering of some temporary gourds, which defend us from sun and wind, or the perishing of these slender booths which we erect for our conveniency, and which we think should cover us always from lightnings and rain?

-His temptations. The days of his flesh were days of temptations. A general temptation extended itself from their beginning unto their end; and on several occasions, particular and special temptations arose, to attack and overthrow his faith and hope in God. These temptations the Son of God endured, and, in enduring them, suffered.Wounded, grieved, oppressed and bruised, he felt in himself the anguish of sorrow, and the bitterness of death, from attempts of devils and men, to break the purpose for which he was manifested in the flesh. And why should the chosen generation stumble at the temptations, with which they are exercised and tried in the days of their flesh? The devil roars on every side, and terrifies you with horrid suggestions; the world sets itself against you, and evil doers wound and vex your souls from day to day with their unlawful deeds. Is this strange? Had you ever any reason to think it would be otherwise? Have you not been warned to expect fiery trials and fiery darts? From the day of power, in which the Captain of Salvation took you under his care, unto the day of passing through the valley of the shadow of death, there is a season of temptation; and of this trying season the duty is to watch and to pray, to stand fast and to resist, and to consider him who himself suffered being tempted, that he might be able to succour them who are tempted.

His conflict. On every side extremes should be avoided. To suppose, on the one hand, that complacency in the love of his Father, and assurance of the success and glory of his own undertaking, raised him above the anguish of sorrow and the feelings of pain, would affect the reality of his human nature, and the reality

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