Even some servants have a high character, and are greatly esteemed, but the Lord of glory, in his mysterious incarnation, voluntarily places himself in those circumstances in which he received not the honours due to his name. "He came unto his own," says the apostle, "and his own received him not." Although he was the Rose of Sharon, and the Lily of the Vallies, yet he was esteemed as a root out of a dry ground, having no form nor comeliness; nay, more, as predicted of him, he was despised and rejected of men! a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. O! tell me, did not our blessed Saviour appear as one without reputation when the Samaritans refused to receive him into their villages? When the Gadarenes besought him to depart out of their coast? and when the men of his own city, Nazareth, led him to the brow of the hill upon which their city was built, to cast him down headlong, as one unfit to live? O! tell me, did not the Saviour of lost men appear as one without reputation, when he was openly rejected by the chief priests and pharisees, and reproachfully called a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners? when he was betrayed by one disciple, denied by another, and forsaken by all? when the multitude came out against him, as against a thief with swords and staves, to take him? See him arrested as a prisoner; bound as a

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culprit; hurried to the hall of Caiaphas; taken to Pilate's judgment bar; sent to Herod; mocked by the soldiers; crowned with thorns; arrayed in a gorgeous robe, and then sent back to Pilate again. O! see him at Pilate's bar! False witnesses rise up against him!-none dare appear in his behalf! The hall-the court the very heavens ring with the cry, Crucify him! crucify him!" A prisoner must needs be released at the feast, and Barrabbas is preferred! O! my soul! think upon this!-Barrabbas, a robber, was preferred to the blessed Jesus! Barrabbas, a murderer, to the spotless Son of God! And now, he is condemned! not by the voice of law, but by the clamor of popular fury. Pilate, it is true, calls for water, and washing his hands in the presence of the people, says, "I am innocent of the blood of this just man," yet gives him over into the hands of his enemies! And now what a scene of still deeper humiliation is presented! The blessed Saviour is blindfolded! he is smitten upon the cheek! he is spitted upon! he is buffeted! he is scourged!-Only think, scourged! and this is the One, who, according to the Scriptures, shall hereafter be seen coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory! O the strength of a Saviour's love! how astonishing does it appear when measured by the humiliation to which he submitted for our sakes! He made himself of no reputation!

But there is yet another step of still deeper humiliation stated in our text.

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4. "He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross!" That the Prince of life, and Lord of glory, should die any death, however easy, and honourable, is past all comprehension! But, such a death!-the death of the cross!-a death so shameful-so ignominious, and so accursed!— so bitter, so cruel, and so bloody, too! How were the rugged nails driven into his sacred hands and feet! How did his precious blood gush forth, stream down, and smoke upon the ground! O sinner! sinner! you know not the strength of a Saviour's love-you know not the tenderness of the dear Redeemer's heart! died for you! died on the cross for you! and yet you slight him, every day-turn your back upon him, and, even trample under foot his precious blood! Hard-hearted, iron-hearted sinner! how could you serve your loving, dying Saviour so? Hearts of stone! relent! relent!"-"Father forgive them, they know not what they do!"-Having considered the mediatorial character and work of Christ, we are next to contemplate his mediatorial glory.

He

By the mediatorial glory of Christ, we are to understand all that our blessed Redeemer receives, in his two-fold nature, as the reward of his mediatorial work. To this there is a reference in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah;

and upon this the apostle delights to expatiate. His language, here, is beautiful and sublime: "Wherefore, God also" (that is the Father,) "hath highly exalted him, and given him a name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow; of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord." Here the mediatorial glory of Christ is made to consist in two things, honour and dominion.

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1. In Honour.-In his having a name which is above every name-the name of JESUS; the sweetest, the most charming name that men or angels ever heard! Verily ""Tis music in the sinner's ears, 'tis life, and joy, and peace!" O! the sweetness of the name of Jesus, as, it comes over the young convert with the power of a charm, bringing hope and comfort to his burdened soul! O! the sweetness of the name of Jesus, as it falls, like the music of heaven, upon the ear of the dying saint, enabling him to smile in 'death; and, in the full hope of glory, shout, "O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory?"-and, O! who can tell the unutterable sweetness of the name of Jesus, as it rolls in choral symphonies from yonder heavenly throng, "loud as from numbers without number, and sweet as from blest voices uttering joy." The name of Jesus! It wakes up all the harps of heaven! it rolls a tide of

rapture all over the world of glory!, All eyes are turned upon him! whilst voices innumerable, shout, "Worthy! worthy, is the Lamb." Yes, my brethren,

"They praise him now, their hearts and voices praise,
And swell the rapture of the glorious song!
Amen! so let it be; shout, angels, shout!

And loudest, ye redeemed! Glory be to God,
And to the Lamb, who bought us with his blood;
And washed, and sanctified, and saved our souls;
And gave us robes of linen clean, and crowns of gold;
And made us kings and priests to God!"

In exact accordance with this is the language of the holy Apostle, in that noble doxology, or song of praise, addressed to the great Redeemer in his own name, and that of the whole church, militant and triumphant: "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood; and hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father; to him be glory and dominion, for ever, Amen!" Yes, and every pious heart can well respond, Amen.

"O could I speak the matchless worth,
O could I sound the glories forth,.

Which in my Saviour shine;

I'd soar, and touch the heavenly strings,
And vie with Gabriel while he sings,
In notes almost divine!

I'd sing the precious blood he spilt,
My ransom from the dreadful guilt,

Of sin and wrath divine;