The benefit to be enjoyed by thofe who fanctify the Lord of hofts, is here contrafted with the dangerous condition of those who reject and contemn him.

To fuch as fanctify and fear the Lord of hofts, he shall be for a fanctuary; which is a place fet apart for the defence of those who refort to it for fafety in the time of danger. They fhall participate of all thofe impor tant benefits which people enjoy who repair to a fanctuary. By the interpofition of his kind provi dence, the Lord will protect them from the various evils to which they are expofed; and they fhall find agreeable fafety from every enemy, however fubtile and ftrong. Both foul and body comes into his gracious protection, who is their keeper, and a fhade upon their right hand, as it is written in Pfal. cxxi.: The Lord fhall preferve thee from all evil: he fhall preferve thy foul. The Lord fhall preferve thy going out, and thy coming in, from this time forth and even for evermore.' The body, with all its interests, comes under his defence; who hath faid, that he keepeth all his fervants bones;

not one of them is broken;' who keeps them as in a pavilion from the ftrife of tonguest; and fets a hedge on every fide about their houfes, and all that they have. The foul, with all its concerns, enjoys in God the moft defirable covert; who, by moft undubitable figns, demonftrates his gracious prefence with his people, and folicitous regard for their welfare and fafety, by forgiving their fins, illuminating their minds, admitting them to communion with him, comforting their hearts, affifting them in duty, and accepting of their perfons and fervices. In this fanctuary, they always find the plentiful fupply of all manner of neceffary provifion, and the most delightful reft and repofe amidst all the evils and dangers with which they are furrounded. It is not indeed the object of fenfe; nor can we fully explain in what

*Pfal. xxxiv. 20.

+ Pfal. xxxi. 20.

manner

manner those who feem to be equally expofed to dangers with other men, are diftinguifhed by the power, the grace, and fpecial care of the providence of God. Though the defence is invifible, it is certain that he that dwelleth in the fecret place of the Most High, shall abide under the fhadow of the Almighty *, This is indeed a moft extenfive privilege, comprehending every thing neceffary to real felicity, and everlasting confolation.- -Inftead of fhewing you, that this affurance hath been verified in ten thousand inftances, I rather request you to take fanctuary in Immanuel, the Lord of hofts; and then you need not be afraid of any calamity: there is not any thing that fhall really hurt you your best interests fhall be fafe, and your hopes fhall never be disappointed.

But for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Ifrael. Immanuel, God with us, who is the chief fubject of the ancient predictions and promises which were announced by the prophets, who, in the preceding verfe, is called the Lord of hofts, is doubtless the perfon here intended. The words before us are highly figurative, and multiplied, to point out the certainty and greatnefs of the calamity which fhould befall the fearful and unbelieving. The expreffions are of fimilar import, though the latter is ftronger and more forcible than the former. The` first, in which the perfon fpoken of is faid to be for a ftone of ftumbling, plainly intimates, that though men were to be offended at him, and difpleafed with him, he was firm and permanent; one that could not cafily be broken, or torn afunder; and proper to be laid into the foundation of a great building. The laft, in which he is foretold to be a rock of offence, denotes the wonderful immutability of his nature, the everlasting perpetuity of his duration, and his perfect fufficiency to afford defence to those who be take themfelves to him for refuge, notwithstand

Pfal. xci, 1.

ing he was injured and offended by multitudes. Thefe qualifications are often mentioned in the prophetic writings as attributes of the Meffiah, who is reprefented as poffeffing thefe and fimilar properties. He is the foundation-ftone which God hath laid in Zion, upon which he builds his church; the rock of falvation, by which all the elect of God are protected from the many hazards to which they are expofed. To thofe of an oppofite character, he is a ftone of ftumbling, and rock of offence, as the prophet declares, and the New Teftament abundantly teftifies. Some of both the houfes of Ifrael ftumbled at the meanness of his birth, and the poverty of his condition; others were offended at the obfcurity of his perfon, and his despicable appearance in the world. Some stumbled at the company with which he affociated; others were offended at the audience with which he was attended. Some ftumbled at the high pretenfions which he affumed, the doctrine that he taught, or the condefcenfion that he displayed; whilst others were offended at the miracles he performed, at the fufferings he fuftained, and the ignominious, painful death to which he fubmitted. Thus it proved to many of both the houses of Ifrael. At the time this prophecy was delivered, the pofterity of the patriarch Jacob was divided into two diftinct nations, well known by the names of Judah and Ephraim; but after their return from captivity, according to the prediction delivered by the prophet Ezekiel *, they were united into one people; and in this ftate they continued, when the great Meffiah appeared among them.— Let us beware of ftumbling at Jefus Chrift, and of being offended with him, like the Jews of old. Let us estimate his character by the unerring ftandard of the fcriptures; and, grateful for his benevolent interpofition in our favour, let us repair to him, the rock of falvation, and then fhall we be for ever fafe.

Ezek. xxxvii. 19.

For

For a gin, and for a fnare to the inhabitants of Jerufalem. You all know, I fuppofe, that a gin or fnare are terms of fimilar import, ufed to fignify any trap that is intended to entangle, through ignorance or inattention, thofe for whom, it was fet. Here our prophet foretels, that Immanuel, whom he calls in the preceding verfe the Lord of hofts, would prove for a gin and a fnare to the inhabitants of Jerufalem, by whom they were to be reduced to thofe ftraits, and perplexing difficulties, from which they fhould be unable to extricate themselves. They expected the Meffiah to appear with external pomp and magnificence; whereas the Son of God dwelt among them in a mean and humble condition, They rafhly pronounced him an impoftor, and a falfe prophet; whilft, in fact, he was the truth, and his doctrine heavenly and divine. They calumniated him as poffeffed with a devil, and an evil-doer, though he uniformly maintained the moft untainted purity of conduct, and performed, in their prefence, thofe ftupendous miracles which no man could do unless God was with him. They fup pofed that by putting to death Jefus Chrift, they would have enjoyed the favour of the Romans, and their ftate would have been preferved in fecurity; whereas, according to the counfel of Jehovah, their putting him to death, was the cause of the destruction of their nation, city, and temple, by that very people whofe friendship they meant thereby to conciliate. When the Son of God affirmed in his discourses, that he and the Father are one;' that the Father is in him, and he in the Father*;' that he was the Lord of the Sabbath; that he had power on earth to forgive fins that he is the bread of life; and unless we • eat his ftefh, and drink his blood,' &c.; they foolishly imagined, that these, and the like declarations, were fufficient reasons why they fhould reject him as a blafphemer. In this manner they were deceived: they + Matth. ix. 6.

*John x. 30. 38. John vi. 48. &.

+ Matth. xii. 8.

erred

erred in judgment and practice, and fubjected themfelves to the moft terrible judgments. Many in Jerufalem were reduced to the moft diftreffing circumftances, and fuffered the most dreadful calamities, from which they could not extricate themselves. The cause, however, of the divine judgments in which they were involved, was not in Jefus Chrift, at whom they were offended; but in themselves, who, without just reason, were displeased with him.Thus was fulfilled the prediction before us, and thus were verified the words of good old Simeon, recorded Luke ii. 34, 35. which he fpake unto Mary, the mother of our Saviour: Behold, this (difficulted by what name to call this illuftrious child) is fet for the fall and rifing again of many in Ifrael; and for a fsign which thall be spoken against, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.'As it was of old, fo it is now, and fhall be in following ages of the church: Unto you that believe, he is precious: but unto them who are disobedient, the stone which the builders difallowed, the fame is made the head of the corner, and a ftone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, to them who • stumble at the word, being difobedient, whereunto also they were appointed*.*

15 And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be broken, and be fnared, and be taken.

The effects that should follow the accomplishment of the foregoing prediction, are here particularly mentioned and illuftrated. Of both the houses of Ifrael and Judah, and of the inhabitants of Jerufalem, there were fome who participated in the great falvation of the Lord, to whom he was for a fanctuary. Of them alfo there were many, a great number, who ftumbled, and were offended at him; and were, therefore, excluded from the bleffings of his redemption.

1 Peter ii. 7, 8,