taking. Just before his agony, he presents us with a specimen of his intercession before the throne of God. In his last sufferings, holy trust, resignation, prayer, love to his heavenly Father, sustained him. Christ's character was a devout, religious, elevated character, supported by inward principles of faith and love to God, and confidence in him. Christ's was, in the proper sense of the term, a most pious life. This was a main ingredient. This strikes the mind at every turn. And yet there was nothing of the secluded and austere mixed with the devout in him. It was precisely a piety so expressed, and so mingled with all his conduct, as to furnish a perfect example to his followers.

Next to his piety towards God, was HIS BENEVOLENCE and COMPASSION TOWARDS MAN. Nothing was more apparent in our Lord, than genuine goodwill, kindness, tenderness of heart. His life was not one of strict justice merely, but of overflowing benignity." He went about to bless and console this sorrowing world. His miracles were almost all acts of kindness and beneficence-healing all manner of disease, casting out devils, restoring sight to the blind, and even raising again the dead. Instead of displaying the portentous powers by which the mission of Moses was made to triumph over the rebellious Pharaoh; in the benevolent Jesus all was characteristic of the peace and goodwill which he came to proclaim. He was our brother, one like unto ourselves, sin only excepted. When he saw an amiable young man, then he loved him. When he beheld the multitude fainting, he had compassion on them, because they were scattered and were as sheep that had no shepherd. As he approached the city of Nain, Behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and Jesus, when he saw her, had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier, (and they that bore him stood still,) and he said,

(r) Abp. Newcombe.

(s) Doddridge observes, that our Lord wrought more beneficent miracles in one afternoon, than any of the ancient prophets in the course of a whole life. See Matt. ix. 33.

(t) At once, before he had begun the intended restoration.

which appeared in other moral teachers, our Lord was uniformly gentle and lowly. It is impossible even for the unbeliever to deny, and indeed he does not venture to deny, the meekness and lowliness of Christ's character.

Then consider HIS SUPERIORITY TO THE WORLD-to the passions, objects, opinions, pleasures, indulgences, love of ease; regard to fame, to riches, to display, to influence, to praise-which the Scripture includes under that comprehensive term, and which have ever ensnared, under one form or other, all merely human teachers. In our Saviour we see nothing of a worldly spirit:-there was no courting of the great, no fawning over the persons of the noble, no haunting the palaces of kings, no deference to the authority. of powerful and wicked men, no debates about human politics and temporal interests, no desire after worldly distinction or dominion, no leaning to an outward splendor and an external Messiahship, such as the Jews desired and feigned. On the contrary, never was there so unworldly a character, never such disinterestedness, never such superiority to all the glare and bustle and attraction of the world and worldly glory. He estimated things as they really were, and acted simply and invariably upon that estimate. He was not of the world; he was of another spirit, engaged in other pursuits, touched by other interests, bent on high and nobler ends. And in no respect is his example more perfect in itself, and more necessary to us, than in his overcoming of the world."

Then mark the STRICT TEMPERANCE AND COMMAND OF THE INFERIOR APPETITES which our Lord exercised—a rare and difficult attainment! But what self-denial, what abstinence from indulgence, what freedom from every thing like the stain of excess, appeared in Christ! His temperance how pure, how elevated, how vigilant, how uniform, how natural! He wrought no miracle for the supply of his own wants -you hear of none of these wants. He pities the multitude, indeed, and feeds them miraculously; but for himself, he has not where to lay his head. Whilst he sits instructing the Samaritan woman, he accounts that he has meat to (z) John xvi. 33.

eat which his disciples knew not of; whilst, as to them, they are compelled to go into the city to purchase food.a

Join to these virtues, THE FORTITUDE AND CONSTANCY which appeared in our Redeemer-that quality of mind. which is compounded of courage, patience and perseverance; which knows not how to yield in a great undertaking; which is daunted by no opposition, and faints under no discouragement; which endures contradiction, violence, injustice, oppression. With what fortitude does our Lord bear the incessant hostility and perverseness of the Jews! With what constancy and boldness does he arraign the vices and hypocrisy and cruelties of the scribes and pharisees! When did he betray any symptoms of cowardice or the fear of man? When did he fly in dejection or irresolution? No: he fainted not, neither was discouraged, till he had set judgment in the earth.

THE PRUDENCE AND DISCRETION which ever adorned our divine Master must not be overlooked. These made a remarkable, though not a disproportionate, part of his character. He never invited attack by imprudence, nor provoked hostility by intemperate rashness. When no good could be effected in one spot, he withdrew to another. The questions dictated by curiosity or craft, he repelled by wisdom; proposing other questions, or inculcating a general doctrine, or softening reproof, by the veil of a parable. The forethought, the consideration of circumstances, the adaptation of means to the desired end, the disposition of the several parts of his doctrine to their proper purposes and to the class of his auditory, his determination under a choice of difficulties, his address in defending his disciples when accused, his apologies before the bigoted Jews, marked our Lord's wisdom. The human heart lay open before him: difficult questions and sudden turns only served to display his consummate prudence. Yes, he did all things well: his prudence was as conspicuous in the manner, as his benevolence in the execution, of his designs.

2. But I must not detain you longer on the separate graces of our Saviour's personal character, much as they

(a) John iv. 8.

(b) Isaiah xlii. 4.

(c) Mark vii. 37.

might be extended. I must proceed to offer a few remarks on the UNION of them in his most holy life; for he combined all the various branches of moral excellency, and exhibited in equal perfection the graces and virtues the most opposite to each other, without the proximate failings, or any decay in vigor and consistency. And in this respect our Lord surpassed all human examples of virtue. It is a common remark, that a principle of opposition, and as it were compensation, runs through the works of the Almighty. The stronger virtues are seldom found without an alliance of austerity, nor the softer without weakness and feebleness.d Still more uncommon is it to find the stronger and softer qualities in due proportion. Whilst no example is to be found, except in the blessed Jesus, of all these being, not only united, but carried to the utmost height and preserved in one uniform tenor. Yet such was the case in our Lord. · His virtues were UNALLOYED WITH THE KINDRED FAILINGS. His temperance was unaccompanied with severity, his fortitude was without rashness, his constancy without obstinacy, his self-denial without moroseness, his devotion and piety without indifference to the affairs of life. And so, on the other hand, his benevolence never sunk into weakness, his humility into fear of man, his love of retirement into inactivity, his tenderness into compliance with sin.

Not only so; THE OPPOSITE, AND TO US APPARENTLY CONTRADICTORY, GRACES WERE FOUND IN HIM IN EQUAL PROPORTION. His elevation of mind, and sublimity in the conception of divine things, were connected with the utmost facility and simplicity. His superiority to the world, and spirituality of affection, were equalled by his affability and freedom in conversing with mankind. His temperance and fortitude were adorned with the opposite graces of meekness and forbearance; his love and benignity with courage and decision of character; his compassion for sinners with the most pointed rebukes of the incorrigible and hypocritical. His condescension in consorting with publicans and sinners, was united with the utmost purity and dignity; his

(d) Bowdler.