of fpeaking. The grand evidence to a humble mind, that the Holy Scripture was originally given by infpiration of God, and that the version of it, which by his good providence we are favoured with, is authentic, is, the effect it has upon the heart and conscience, when enlightened by the Holy Spirit. And without this internal, experimental evidence, the learned are no less at a lofs than the vulgar.

An acquaintance with the Hebrew, will, perhaps, suggest a meaning in this verse (the latter part only of which is taken into the Meffiah) which may not readily occur to an English reader. But, the purport of it, is plainly expreffed, in many other paffages. The text is not merely a repetition of what was spoken before, concerning the Redeemer's fufferings; rather the declaration, of what was to follow them, begins here. It is the opening of a bright and glorious fubject. He was taken, he was taken up, like Enoch and Elijah, from prison, and from judgment, and who can declare his generation? or, (as the word properly fignifies) his age? Who can declare his ftate, the establishment and duration of his dignity, influence, and govern

ment? For though he was cut off, made an excifion and a curfe, from amongst men, it was not upon his own account, but for the tranfgreffion of my people, that he was fmitten.

God was manifefted in the flesb*, and, in the flefh, he fuffered as a malefactor, Undoubt edly the divine nature is incapable of suffering; but the human nature, which did fuffer, was affumed by him who is over all, God, blef fed for ever. But he was juftified in the Spirit; and fufficient care was taken, that in his loweft humiliation, though he was condemned and reviled, his character should be vindicated. I fhall, therefore, confider, at prefent, the testimonies given to his innocence. Though he was cut off out of the land of the living, it was only as a substitute for others. He was ftricken, for the tranfgreffion of his people.

1. The first atteftation, and, which, of it-. felf, is fully fufficient to establish this point, is, that of Judas. He was one of the twelve. apoftles, who attended our Lord's person, and who were admitted to a nearer and more frequent intercourfe with him, than the rest of † Rom. ix. 5.

1 Tim. iii. 16.

his

his difciples. Though our Lord knew that his heart was corrupt, and that he would prove a traitor, he does not appear to have treated him with peculiar referve; or, to have kept him more at a diftance than the other apostles; for when he told them, One of you fhall betray me, they had no particular fufpicion of Judas. He, therefore, was well acquainted with the more retired hours of his Master's life. He had been often with him in Gethsemane, before he went thither to be tray him to his enemies. When he had acted this treacherous part, if he, who had been frequently prefent, when Jefus converfed moft freely, in private, with his felect followers, had known any thing amifs in his conduct, we may be fure he would gladly have disclosed it, for his own juftification. Christian societies, have, usually, been reviled and flandered, by thofe, who have apoftatized from them; their mistakes, if they were justly chargeable with any, have been eagerly published and exaggerated; and many things, often, laid to their charge, which they knew not. But Judas, on the contrary, was compelled by his conscience, to return his illgotten gain, to the chief priests and elders,

and

and to confefs, I have finned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood*. Confidering the time of making this declaration, when he faw that he was already condemned, and the perfons to whom he made it, even to those who had condemned him, it cannot be denied that he was an unsuspected and competent witness to his innocence. And the answer of the Chief Priests, implied, that, though their malice could be fatisfied with nothing less than the death of this innocent perfon, they were unable to contradict the traitor's teftimony.

2. Though Pilate, likewife, condemned MESSIAH to death, to gratify the importunity of the Jews, he repeatedly declared his firm perfuafion of his innocence. And he did it with great folemnity. He took water, and washed his hands, publicly, before the multitude, faying, I am innocent of the blood of this just perfon†. He laboured for his release, though the fear of man prevailed upon him at last, as it has upon many, to act in defiance to the light and conviction of his confcience. And from him, we learn, that Herod, notwithstanding he mocked him and fet him at nought, confidered the accufations

* Matt. xxvii. 4. Ib. xxvii, 24. Luke xxiii.15.

of

of his enemies, to be entirely groundless. And farther, when the Jews proposed such an alteration of the title affixed to his cross, as might imply, that the claims our Lord had made, were unjust and criminal, Pilate utterly refused to comply with their demand.

3. The thief upon the cross, with his dying breath, faid, This man hath done nothing amifs. If his competency as a witness should be difputed, because it is probable he had known but little of him; I admit the objection. Be it so, that this malefactor, had little perfonal knowledge of our Lord. Then, his opinion of his innocence must have been founded upon public report; and, therefore, it seems, he spoke not for himself only; but his words may be taken as a proof, that the people at large, though they fuffered themfelves to be influenced by the Chief Priests, to demand his death, and to prefer, Barabbas, a robber and a murderer, to him, were generally conscious that he had done nothing amifs. Many of those who now faid, Crucify him, Crucify him, had, not long before, welcomed him with acclamations of praise, faying, Hofannab to the Son of David. This inconfiftence, and inconftancy, is not altogether