Festival which brought great multitudes of that Nation from the several provinces to Jerusalem. It was on this occasion that the Roman Governor, who usually resided at Cæsarea, resorted to the Capital, as did also Herod, the Tetrarch of Galilee, to whose jurisdiction Jesus was referred by Pilate, and by whom he was dismissed, for want of any sufficient ground of crimination: the testimony of Pilate being thus confirmed that "he had done nothing worthy of death." As the Paschal Lamb was a type of Christ, who was to be offered up to God, "a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of mankind;" so it seems to have been the design of Divine Providence, that the figurative offering, and that of the thing prefigured, should take place at the same time. Our Lord had expressly foretold this to his disciples:-" You know that after two days is the Feast of the Passover, and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified."* And, though the Jews have attempted to elude the prophecy by placing the Passion of Christ sixty-nine years before the date which we assign to it;† yet, in contradiction to their absurd Tradition, we have the testimony of a host of authors, some of

* Matth. xxvi. v. 2.

+ See Pearson on the Creed, p. 197.

them Heathens, who of course could have no interest in falsifying the date of these events. It was moreover at this Passover Feast, when Pilate, being desirous of vindicating himself from the crime of shedding innocent blood, washed his hands before the people, that they cried out "His blood be upon us and upon our children;" and it is remarkable that, at the same festival, nearly forty years afterwards, was the vengeance which they had imprecated on themselves, most signally inflicted; their principal City, with its Temple, being taken and destroyed, and more than 1,100,000 Jews (if we believe the account of a Historian, who was himself present during the siege) falling victims to famine, pestilence, or the sword.

*

There is little occasion, I presume, to trespass much further on your attention, by earnestly recommending the circumstances which I have mentioned, and which are so intimately connected with the ceremonies of this season, to your serious consideration.-"Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us:" to him give all the Prophets witness: and in the fulfilment of the prophecies, from the earliest prediction concerning him, given to our first parents,-that "the seed of the woman should bruise the Serpent's head,"-the

* Lent.

H

interposition of the Almighty has been most eminently visible. Never can we sufficiently admire his wisdom and benevolence in the great work of our redemption, nor those wonderful dispensations of his Providence, by which the malice and cruelty of wicked instruments were converted into the most essential benefits and blessings to mankind. The envy and malevolence of the Priests and Pharisees, the infatuation and fury of the common people, the profligate consciences of false witnesses, the treachery and avarice of one of his own disciples, the timidity of a corrupt and timeserving Judge; these were the instruments employed by the spiritual enemy of mankind to destroy Jesus, and overthrow his kingdom: but "observe, (says an eminent divine,) the power and wisdom of Providence in bringing good out of evil, and the most excellent and beneficial events out of the most unlikely, ungodly, and malicious intentions. Had not the Jews been so barbarous and wicked, the innocent Jesus had not been subjected to so painful and ignominious a death; had he not been put to such a death, he could not have suffered the pain and humiliation, which it appears divine justice required as a satisfaction for the sins of men; had not the proceedings against him been injurious and unreasonable, his death had not borne the merit of a sa

6

crifice and expiation for the guilty, whose persons he represented in a word, had he not died, he had not conquered death,' nor led Captivity (the authors of our Captivity) captive:' whereas, now, by virtue of his death, which these wicked instruments procured, having, as Saint Paul tells us, 'spoiled principalities and powers,' (all the principal powers of darkness,) and having triumphed over them on his Cross,** he is seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high, and is able to obtain eternal Salvation for all those who come unto God by him.''

* See Coloss. ii. 15.

SERMON IV.

THE FRUITLESS FIG TREE.

MATTHEW XXI. 18, 19.

Now in the morning, as he returned into the city, he hungered; And when he saw a Fig Tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon but leaves only, and said unto it: Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever: and presently the Fig Tree withered

away.

IT has been justly remarked that the miracles of our Saviour were almost universally of a kind and beneficial nature. He gave sight to the blind, and strength to the infirm and paralytic; he made the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak he cleansed the leprous, and cast out evil spirits, i. e. he restored to the use of their senses those whom the Jews believed to be under demoniacal influence he not only