execute? If any are difpofed to enquire into the juftice of my claim, the truth that I affirm, or the authority by which I act-Let us and together, that the matter in dispute may be fully reprefented, and fairly decided.-Who is mine adversary, that will be fo audacious as bring any charge against me that he can fubftantiate; relative to my character, or the important enterprife in which I am embarked, and which I am obliged to execute - Let him come near to me, that I may know with whom I have to do, and that the controverfy may be justly determined, and he fhall certainly be convinced of the folly and vanity of every hoftile attempt that can be made against me. Such was the heroic courage of Jefus Christ, that he was not intimidated by his enemies; he boldly fet them at defiance, and, when he judg ed proper, replied with firmnefs and fortitude to all the accufations they brought against him. Nay, fuch is the happy influence of his invincible magnanimity, that a portion of the noble fpirit whereby he was animated hath defcended upon his followers, who in language fimilar to his have gloried in their fuperiority to every adverfe power. Hear the triumphant exclamation of the apostle of the Gentiles, who himself had been accused of being a peftilent fellow, and a mover of fedition, Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that juftifieth; who is he that condem neth? He challenges all the creatures in the univerfe to lay any thing to his charge that could deprive him of confidence in God, and an interest in his favour. By this eminent fervant of God, who had imbibed the Spirit of his divine mafter, Chrifti ans are taught to repel the unjuft accufations of their adverfaries, in humble reliance on God their Saviour. If the fupreme Legiflator and Judge acquit from condemnation, if he graciously pardon and accept, who and where is he that may prefume to counteract the fentence of the Almighty? Rom. viii. 33, 34. 9 Behold 9 Behold, the LORD God will help me; who is he that fhall condemn me? lo, they all fhall wax old as a garment; the moth fhail eat them up.' The challenge he had given to his adverfaries in the preceding verfe, is here renewed by the Meffiah, who points out the grounds of his unfhaken confidence. The Lord God omnipotent, hath repeated. ly given me the most explicit affurances of his continual aid and fupport, and therefore I cannot fail to obtain fuccefs and victory. In firm dependence on his promifed all-fufficient help, I again afk,Who is he that shall condemn me, and bring against me a charge of any crime that he can verify, and pronounce upon me a righteous fentence of condemnation. They all shall wax old, &c. The royal Pfalmift, when celebrating the praifes of Jehovah, on account of his immutability and eternity, and expreffing his trust in the divine power and faithfulness, employs the fame comparison that is here ufed, Pfalm cii, 26. They fhall perish, but thou 'fhalt endure; yea, all of them fhall wax old like a garment, as a vefture fhalt thou change them, ' and they fhall be changed.' At the time appointed by infinite wifdom, after the heavens and the earth have ferved the purposes for which they were created, they fhall be laid afide as an old worn out garment, which hath loft its beauty, firmnefs, and utility. By the fame allufion, the Meffiah represents the feeble decayed ftate to which his enemies who contended with him fhall be reduced.-The moth shall eat them up. Though a very feeble infect almoft deftitute of fubftance; yet it quickly confumes the ftrongeft garments. In like manner the adverfaries of Jefus Chrift fhall be fpeedily confumed by the weakeft inftruments. They may foolishly imagine that they are able to contend with him, whereas the meanest creature that he employs to execute his righteous vengeance, thall certainly - certainly destroy them. Divine judgments fhall fecretly eat out their ftrength, waste their beauty, and render them uncapable of effecting any valua ble purpose. And as the garment breeds the moth, which effectually deftroys it; fo thofe who oppofe the glorious Redeemer, fofter in their own bofoms the feeds of those corrupt paffions, which bring upon them confuming calamities. By this paffage of scripture, we are inftructed from what fources we ought to derive encouragement, when we engage in any arduous fervice, we ought to look to God to furnish us for the work he affigns, to strengthen us for the performance of it, and to endow us with courage to execute it with firmness and conftancy, amidit the cenfures and oppofition that we may meet with. Let us at all times ftudy to obtain his ap probation, with whom none can fuccefsfully contend; let us gratefully accept the bleffings of his redemption, depend on his mediation, fubmit to his authority, and rejoice in his adminiftration. Then may we hope that when all earthly glory fhall fade away as a flower, he will admit us into his kingdom and prefence, where is fulness of joys for evermore. 10 ¶ Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him truft in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God. Ifaiah having prophetically reprefented the treatment which the Meffiah was to receive from the Jews; he directs his difcourfe to both the claffes of which that people were compofed; namely, the righteous and the wicked, He begins with addref fing good and comfortable words to the upright a mong them, in order to folace their anxious dejec ted minds.-Who is among you that feareth the Lord? The fear of the Lord which is here intended, con fifts in facred reverence of his glorious Majefty, in humble veneration of his divine excellencies, accompanied with profound fubmiffion to his fupreme authority. It is implanted in the human heart by the bleffed God himfelf; it is the beginning of wif dom, it difpofes to depart from evil, and produces the most important effects both on the temper and conduct. It blends its operations with the exercise of every other grace. It intermixes with faith, and renders it fruitful; it co-operates with love, and prevents it from becoming fecure; it unites with hope, and keeps it from fwelling into prefumption; it mingles with joy, and fo moderates it that we rejoice with trembling. It extends its benign influence through every department of divine worship, and fo occupies the mind with awful respect for God, as excites to caution and circumfpection in every fituation and fervice; whilft it cherishes amiable humility in the divine prefence. It is increa fed and established by frequently contratting our impurity with the perfect holiness of Jehovah; our meannefs with his infinite grandeur, our weakness with his omnipotence, our folly with his confummate wisdom, our emptinefs with his inexhaustible fulness. From all which it is evident, that the fear of the Lord peculiar to his fervants, is very different from that fervile dread of God as an offended fovereign and judge, whereby the fecurity of tranfgreffors is disturbed, and a loud alarm of danger reaches their confciences. It is alfo effentially distinguished from that perplexing timidity which is fometimes felt by the workers of iniquity, who are in great fear because God is in the generation of the righteous; and who are terrified at the thoughts of God whom they have contemned. From this powerful principle, the faithful fervants of God are often denominated in fcripture. As men frequently bear the name of the particular bufinefs wherein they are chiefly employed; fo thote who live and act under the governing influence of reverence for God, are with great propriety cha racterised racterised by this gracious difpofition. We befeech thee, O Lord God, that according to thy word thou wilt put thy fear into our hearts, that we fhall not depart from thee. That obeyeth the voice of his fervant. The Meffiah frequently mentioned in thefe prophecies as the fervant of Jehovah, is I fuppofe the perfon who' is here chiefly intended. Though confidered as Mediator and Redeemer, he fuftains this character, yet he poffefles abfolute right to command, and his peculiar people are bound by the strongest ties to obey his voice. God hath fet him King over his boly hill of Zion. He is the great Prophet that God hath raised up, who hath spoken to us all that he commanded him: He is his beloved Son, to whom Jehovah hath required us to hearken diligently, and to yield obedience. To obey his voice is to liften attentively to his inftructions, and fo to understand them as to become wife unto falvation. It is to receive the law from his mouth, and to lay up his word in our hearts, that we fin not against him. It is to yield chearful unlimited fubjection to whatfoever he hath commanded; convinced that it is our duty, honour, and intereft to do his will. Senfible that all his precepts which relate either to the exercife of the heart, or the fruits of holiness and righteoufnefs in the life, are proofs of his gracious regard for our happiness; we ought in all things to approve ourfelves to our great Lord and Mafter in heaven. Such is the habitual delightful employment of those who obey the voice of God's fervant, who hath explicitly declared, that the obfervance of his laws is the beft evidence of that fu preme affection which he justly demands. • He that hath my commandments (faith he) and keep⚫eth them, he it is that loveth me; and again, if ye love me, keep my commandments.' Gratitude to him for his benefits, and a fenfe of his authority, difpofes those who are his difciples indeed to keep his word, and to delight in his law after the inward man; |