filled in his public miniftry. He did not come among mankind with a rod of difcipline or with the fword of the civil power, but in peace and love and in the spirit of meekness. He made no public parade of the exalted office which he bore, but he communicated his doctrines in the mildeft, freeft, easiest manner. And though he spoke with the energy of a Teacher come from God, yet in the tone of his preaching, as well as in the fubftance of his doctrine, he was gentle, apt to teach, patient; fhewing all meekness to all mend Thofe, who were bruifed with a fense of their irreligious and finful state, he did not overwhelm with the severity of judgment, but he raifed them with the language of compaffion and confolation. And whenever he found a feeble and half extinguished spark of religion in the soul of man, he gently fanned it into a living flame. Even to the Pharifees and Scribes, who vilified his perfon and ministry, he was mild and temperate in the tenor of his converfation, feeking rather to correct them than to irritate. And when he had urgent occafion to reprehend them, he usually conveyed his fentiments by the circuitous, yet more conciliating mode

d

2 Tim. ii. 24. Tit. iii. 2.

of

of parable, rather than by open and direct reproof.

Such alfo was his character in his ordinary dealings and converfation. In all his intercourse with men, and during all his fojourn upon earth, he was forbearing and forgiving, patient and content. Thus when fome of his Difciples fuggefted to him the infliction of an exemplary vengeance on the inhofpitable Samaritans, he rebuked their fanguinary zeal, and told them, that he was not come to deftroy, but to fave . And when the extremes of calamity were coming upon him in his agony in the garden, though indeed he prayed that the cup of anguish, if it were poffible, might pass away from him, yet he fubmitted with refignation to his Father's pleasure; "Nevertheless not my will, but thine be done f." So alfo in the feverest of his trials, when he was arraigned before an iniquitoust tribunal, "as a fheep before her fhearers ist dumb, fo he opened not his mouth: when he was reviled, he reviled not again; when, he fuffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteoufly "." And when they wreaked their ut

• Luke ix. 54, &c.

s Ifa. liii. 7. 1 Pet. ii. 23.

f Luke xxii. 42.

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most cruelty upon him, and he was enduring the most dreadful agonies of human nature, as he hung upon the crofs, he prayed for their pardon; "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do "." Accordingly he is faid by the Apostle in this very inftance to have "left us an example, that we fhould follow his fteps." And in like manner he recommends his own difpofition as a pattern to his followers; "Learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart."

Of the fame complexion alfo was his doctrine. Thus in his Sermon on the Mount, it was his inftruction to his Disciples,, that they be not angry with their Brother, without a reasonable caufe; that they agree with their adversary without delay; that they resist not, nor retaliate evil; that they forbear all impatient and fretful folicitude for the neceffaries of life; and that they commit themselves contentedly to his wife providence, who supplies to all his creatures their respec tive wants.

To the fame purpose are the frequent exhortations of the Apostles, who had imbibed from the doctrine and example of their Lord this effential fpirit of his religion. Thus

h Luke xxiii. 34.

i Mat. xi.. 29.

Saint Paul teaches, that the fruit of the spirit, is meeknefs; and exhorts his Chriftian Converts, to walk worthy of their vocation, with all lowlinefs and meeknefs and long fuffering, forbearing one another in love1. Saint James admonishes the Brethren, to receive with meekness the engrafted word ; and recommends it as the character of a man truly wife and endued with knowledge, that he fhew out of a good converfation his works. with meekness of wifdomm. And Saint Peter, after commending in Chriftian Matrons above all other ornaments the jewel, highly precious in the fight of God, of a meek and quiet fpirit, makes it a general exhortation to Chriftians, that they be all of one mind, having compaffion one of another, that they love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous".

And hence we may collect a general view of the character thus propofed for the cultivation of Chriftians. As far as relates to other men, the Meek may be defcribed with the fame features of character, which the Apostle has affigned to charity or Christian love. They fuffer long the injuries and infults of others, before they express a spirit of

refentment or refiftance: they are kind and gentle in the feveral relations, which they bear in focial and domeftic life, as well as in their common treatment of all men: they do not envy the more fortunate condition of others they do not vaunt themfelves on their poffeffions or endowments: they are not puffed up with any peculiar advantage above others; they do not behave themselves with unfeemly affumption in their converfation or deportment: they are not forward or importunate in seeking or infifting on their own they are not eafily provoked to express, or even to conceive any harsh or uncharitable fentiments of others: they think no evil of those around them: they rejoice not in any thing to the prejudice of others; but they rejoice in what is just and right o.

Thus alfo in their perfonal deportment, they are contented with their ftation and condition in life, whatever be the place which providence affigns them. They are moderate and equal minded in both extremes and in all viciffitudes of fortune. If their lot is profperous, they endeavour to apply it to the glory of God and the benefit of men, as alfo to their own advancement in godliness: they

• 1 Cor. xiii. 4, 5, 6.

enjoy