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Him, then, that loved us, and gave himself for us, let us, in the devotion of our hearts and the obedience of our lives, as well as in the homage of our lips, ascribe all honour, and praise, and glory, for ever and ever.

SERMON XXIV.

THE LAMB OF GOD.

ISAIAH liii. 7.

He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter.

THE striking and appropriate terms in which the prophet Isaiah depicts the character and offices of the Messiah, have procured for him, by way of eminence, the title of the Evangelical Prophet. He exhibits a glowing but faithful picture of the character of Christ, and all the humiliating and all the triumphant events of his life. In the chapter which contains my text, the prophet has dipped his pencil in the softest colours, and draws a portrait of the Saviour, which, while it conveys to us the most exalted ideas of his character, is calculated to awaken our tenderest and liveliest sympathy.

Let us then contemplate the character of Christ, as delineated by the prophet under the emblem of "a lamb brought to the slaughter," that our penitence may be awakened, our gratitude enlivened, and our souls warmed with the ardent emotions of love and duty.

Under the character of a "lamb brought to the slaughter," we are led to consider,

The innocence of Christ;

His tenderness and compassion;

His patience;

And, finally, to consider him as the victim for

our sins.

1. We are led to consider his innocence.

Pure was that spirit which envy never corroded, which malice never inflamed, which pride never agitated, which deceit never contaminated, which lust never corrupted. "A lamb” indeed was he, "without blemish and without spot." His Godhead sanctified his human nature, and purified it from all the stains of sin. His soul glowed innocent and pure as the glory which emanates from the infinite Source of all perfection. No reproaches, no insults, no persecutions could move him from his steadfast purposes of love, or excite any dispositions but those of compassion. Abuse and injury served but to inflame the fervour of his love, even for those who thus requited his benevolent exertions. No homage could rouse his ambition, no persecutions excite his revenge. Uncontaminated by any vengeful passion, his soul was the seat of innocence and peace. He passed through the world sedulous and faithful in the discharge of all its duties, mixing with its most busy circles, but infinitely removed from the influence of its vices and its corrupting pleasures. That life could not be otherwise than innocent, which was supremely and uniformly devoted to the disinterested purpose of advancing the temporal and eternal interests of those he came to save.

And how pure and renovating the laws which he enjoined!-calculated, by the exalted virtues which they enforce, to restore us to the innocence and virtue of heaven.

Behold then the Lamb of God, clothed with innocence celestial and divine, infusing into his life, and into his precepts, the purity which glowed in his own immaculate soul. Most worthy is be surely

of our admiration, our esteem, our ardent love. What excuse can there be for the apathy which beholds with indifference this exalted worth? What can save from the stigma of hardened impiety, the heart which views with indifference or contempt the infinitely pure and exalted innocence of the Lamb of God!

And yet this is the condition of sinners. They regard the holy Jesus, whose character should awaken all the emotions of esteem and love, with indifference. They bestow on the character of him who, in every pure and holy attribute, infinitely transcends all human excellence, perhaps not a moment's thought. They hear this immaculate Lamb of God profaned and contemned without emotion, and even unite in the unholy profanation. Perhaps by his innocent and sacred name they seal their thoughtless and frivolous assertions, or impious falsehoods. He whose exalted and disinterested virtue, whose inoffensive and spotless innocence should awaken their most ardent and tender feelings, possesses no place in their thoughts, no share in their affections. They reproach him, they insult him, they put him to an open shame bý their irregular and vicious life. Oh! the immaculate innocence of the Lamb of God awfully aggravates the guilt of those who thus neglect and despise him.

The emblem under which the prophet represents the Messiah, leads us to contemplate,

2. His tenderness and compassion.

Behold him ever engaged in alleviating and removing human misery, and delighting to gladden the hearts which sorrow and affliction had smitten. VOL. III.

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Hear him, by reproof, by warning, by affectionate persuasion, seeking to awaken and reclaim secure and obdurate sinners. See him weeping over that impenitence which resisted his importunate solicitations. Hear him pressing, in the accents of mercy, penitent mourners to come unto him, and be partakers of his peace. Behold him always forgetting his own sufferings, in the prosecution of his benevolent work of effecting the redemption of man, and at the moment so awful to frail nature, when his soul was sinking in a dark and terrible death, forgetting his bitter agonies in the prayer for the pardon of his murderers.

And in this infinite tenderness and compassion of the Saviour, the Lamb of God, does there appear no claim on our gratitude and love, no reproach on that insensibility which disregards or contemns his infinite compassion?

Was it an austere, cruel, and unmerciful Judge against whom we rebelled-did a Master claim our service, who had evidenced no wish for our happiness, and conferred no favours upon us-our neglect and disregard might find some excuse. But to remain unaffected by the infinite tenderness of the Lamb of God-to reject mercy forced on us by the earnest and affectionate persuasions of our compassionate Lord-to disregard and contemn that merciful Redeemer who is constantly imploring blessings upon us, and warding off, by his intercessions, the stroke of incensed justice-is a tremendous guilt, which no excuses can palliate, and which human colouring cannot aggravate.

In the emblem of the lamb led to the slaughter, we are called to view,

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