Of his reception in the world : he was to be an object of uni- versal contempt and abhorrence ; and yet to be universally admired and adored ^. Of his end : he was to die an accursed death, and yet to Hve for ever and ever But the Phari- sees noticed only those passages of Scripture which flattered their pride, and raised their expectations of temporal grandeur ; and therefore they were " ofiended " at Jesus, whose condition in the world was poor and mean, and, as they thought, irre- concileable with the office which he professed to bear.]
Yet were these discordancies no just reason for their rejecting of Christ —
[In fact, if these discordancies had not been found in him, he could not have been the Messiah predicted in the Scrip- tures. Their union therefore in him was rather a reason why the people should believe in him ; since it fulfilled every part of the inspired records, and gave to him a claim, which no other person ever did, or could, possess. The miracles which he wrought were such a demonstrative proof of his divine mission as no reasonable being could withstand. And these miracles, taken in connexion with the strict accomplishment of so many, and so apparently opposite, predictions, left no room for doubt on any rational and candid mind, that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.]
But my text leads me further to shew,
II. That the union of these discordancies in Christ Jesus is the very foundation of all our hopes —
If he had not been man, he could not have lived and died for us ; as the Apostle says ; " He was made lower than the angels for the suffering of death, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man''." On the other hand.
He must have been God, else nothing that he either did or suffered could have been available for our salvation —
[Supposing him to have been a mere creature, his obedi- ence co7ild not merit any thing for us : for, " all that he could do would be no more than his bounden duty; and, having done it all, he would be only an unprofitable servant." Nor could his sufferings make any atonement for our sins : for there is no proportion whatever between the sufferings of one creature for a time, and the sufferings of countless millions of creatures
^ Isai. liii. 3. and xlix. 7. Fs. xxii. G. with Ps. Ixxii. 8, lu, 11. '' Heb. ii. f).