"Daughters of Jerusalem,"(said he to the women who followed Him to Calvary) "weep not for me; but weep for yourselves, and for your children." "Father!" He exclaimed in behalf of the soldiers who were nailing him to the cross," Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Nay, while he was hanging in all the agony of crucifixion, He yet affectionately remembered and noticed his afflicted mother, and recommended her to the care of his beloved Disciple.c In this manner He endured the Cross.

He also "despised the Shame." Shame and infamy are evils, which it is often found more difficult to bear, than even pain and torture. Many persons who would endure great bodily suffering without shrinking, dread the very thought of disgrace and ignominy. Their bodies may sustain the former, but their minds cannot support the latter. Here their strength is tried, and fails. Here their weakness is discovered. They sink under

this weight. Not so it was with Jesus. He despised the shame. All the indignities which bis enemies endeavoured to heap on Him, could not alter his purpose, nor shake his firmness. In his patience He possessed his soul. He was unmoved by all the scorn, contempt, and ridicule, which was expressed against him: by all the falsehoods, calumnies, and reproaches, which were cast upon him. He looked down upon them, as the word properly signifies. He regarded them as beneath his notice: as things which did not deserve a thought, in comparison with the great object which he had in view.

What this object was, I now proceed to shew. It is the third thing which the text leads us to consider.

III. Why Jesus Christ suffered thus.

It must be plain, when Jesus thus "endured the cross, despising the shame, that he had some object in view; that there was some end, which he hoped to attain by his sufferings; some reward, which be propos ed to himself, as a full compensation for all this pain and shame. So speaks the text. It tells us that it was for the Joy which was set before him.

And what was

this Joy? The question may be readily answered. it was the Joy of saving sinners; the Joy of delivering innumerable souls from the bondage of sin and Satan, and of bringing them to everlasting happiness. He saw the miserable state into which sin had plunged the race of Adam, and was touched with pity for them.. He saw that they had no power of delivering themselves out of their lost condition; that they could do nothing to atone for their guilt, and to make their peace with God; and that if left to themselves, they must for ever suffer the dreadful punishments which their sins deserved. He saw these things; but at the same time he knew, that what they could not do for themselves, he could do for them, He knew that by his sufferings and obedience unto death, the death of the cross, he could make a full and perfect sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. He knew that the Father would graciously accept this sacrifice, and for the sake of this satisfaction, would pardon Sinners, and receive them to his favour. Here then we see, Why Jesus suf fered thus. We discover the object which he bad in

view. He looked forward to the consequences of his suffering. He foresaw the blessed effects which would follow it. He foresaw that by His stripes we should be healed; that by the pain which He endured, we should be saved from eternal pain; that by the shame to which He submitted, we should be saved from everlasting shame, and raised to high and endless glory He looked forward to that day, when the "Ransomed of the Lord shail return and come to Zion with songs;" when that great multitude, whom no man can number, having washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb, shall be presented by Him faultless, before the presence of his Father with exceeding joy." This was the reward which He proposed to himself. This was the end, for the attainment of which, He bled, and suf fered and died. This was "the joy set before Him, for which he endured the cross, despising the shame,"

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What, my brethren, shall we say to these things? What are the thoughts, the feelings; which this subject raises in us? Can we reflect on the Sufferings of Christ ; ; on his cross and passion on his pain and shame; çan we think on the Manner in which he bore these sufferings, on the fortitude, the meekness, the patience, the constancy, which He shewed throughout; and not be filled with the deepest admiration of his exalted char-. acter? But when we farther reflect on the Cause of his suffering; when we call to mind the Object for which He suffered; when we consider that for us men, and for our salvation, He underwent these things; that to save us from hell, which we had deserved, and to raise us to heaven, which we had forfeited, He " endured the

cross, despising the shame;" what then are our feelings? Are we not filled with the most lively gratitude, as well as with the deepest admiration? While we admire his fortitude and constancy, are we not also sensibly touched with the thoughts of his goodness and compassion? Do we not feel something of our immense obligations to Him? Are we not ready to say, "behold how he loved us ?" What would have been our condition, if he had not "endured the Cross, despising the shame?" How lost and desperate! Without Christ, without hope, without God in the world, we must have miserably perished. But now how changed, how happy, how glorious is our state! Christ "hath once sufferred for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God."d By the blood of his Cross, He has made our peace with heaven. We who were afar off, are now brought nigh; and can draw near to God, in the full assurance of hope. "Let our souls bless the

us bless his holy name.

Lord, and all that is within Bless the Lord, O, our souls; and forget not all his benefits; who forgiveth all our iniquities; who healeth all our diseases; who redeemeth our life from destruction; who crowneth us with loving-kindness and tender mercies.' "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable

Gift!"

But is there not also another feeling excited by this subject? While we read of the sufferings of Jesus ; while we think of his wonderful compassion, of his amazing love; which led him, for our sakes, to endure the cross, despising the shame;" are we nat d 1 Peter, iii. 18.

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touched with something like remorse and self reproach? Are we not concerned at the recollection of our sins, which helped to cause these sufferings? Are we not concerned to think of the little return which we have made to Jesus for all his love; He died that we might live; yet we have not lived to him. He remembered us in our low estate; yet we have forgotten Him. thought of us; yet days, and weeks, and years, have we lived without thinking of Him. He "endured the cross" for us; yet we have been backward to take up our cross for Him. Every little trial to which He has put us, we have accounted a heavy burden, and hard to be endured. He, for us," despised the shame;" yet we have been unwilling to suffer shame for him. Every little indignity to which he has called us to submit we have counted an intolerable hardship; and perhaps to avoid the shame, have in fact denied our Saviour. Do not the thoughts of these things grieve us? Do we not feel sorrow and shame? Are we 'notangry with ourselves? Are we not self-condemned ? ?

Let these humbling views of ourselves be cherished! and increased. They will lower our self-esteem, and · exalt the Saviour in our hearts. Let us be confounded at the sight of our great unworthiness, contrasted with bis glorious perfections. So shall we learn to walk. more humbly and more closely with Him. So shall we learn to live no longer to ourselves, but to Him who loved us, and gave himself for us.