CHAPTER III.

THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST AS IT APPEARS IN THE GOSPELS.

(CONTINUED.)

SECTION II.

His Personal Character.

IN the conception of a divine teacher, much more is required than that his doctrines and instructions should be worthy of God; and, conformably to this remark, the personal character which in the Gospels is ascribed to Jesus Christ is most striking and original. At the same time, there is such an air of truth in these writings, that, whatever may be any one's doubts or opinions, he can hardly read them attentively without a strong feeling that he is reading a narrative of real events, and without conceiving of the character of Christ as one which actually existed. He is represented as not only destitute of all advantages of rank or station, but, still more, as placed in circumstances

which might expose him to contempt and derision; yet he constantly appears as maintaining an immeasurable superiority over all other men, by the moral force and dignity of his character. Everything in his words and actions is just to the original conception. He makes claim to the highest authority, calmly, without effort or exaggeration. He announces himself as connected with God in a manner in which no other human being ever was; but he is able to support himself on the elevation which he assumes. There is no taint of human weakness, of vanity or arrogance, in his declarations or actions. On the contrary, he regards nothing as humiliating, but what in truth is

He converses with tax-gatherers and sinners, because his office was to call sinners to reformation. He is content to be surrounded with a company of poor, ignorant Apostles; but they had, or might be formed to have, the moral qualities required in the future ministers of his religion. He travels about in poverty, having no habitation of his own “where to lay his head." He does it, because it was required by the nature of those duties which he had to perform; and especially in order that, by the example of his own poverty, he might destroy in the most effectual manner all

worldly expectations in those who were disposed to join him. He washes the feet of his disciples. There may be abundant ostentation in pretended humility, but there is none here; his object was to give his disciples a lesson which it is evident they needed. In all his actions there is a composed, unaffected dignity; a steady regard to the high purposes of his mission; a perfect correspondence between his conduct and his claims. This character is particularly discovered in the exercise of his supernatural powers. He performs the most astonishing miracles, but there is nothing of theatrical display. "He was loved by the Father, and the Father had shown him how to do what he himself does." He appears like one of whom this declaration is true; like one too highly favored by God to be affected by the admiration and astonishment of men.

I WILL not here repeat what I have had occasion to remark before on the distinctive character of his miracles; but it is proper to observe, that if we suppose no miracles to have been performed, and the narratives of them to be consequently a work of imagination, then the difficult question arises, how it happened that the writers of the Gos

pels conceived with such truth the character which the miracles of a messenger from God ought to have, when all other narrators of fictitious miracles have failed so glaringly in every similar attempt.

BUT in the wonderful history contained in the Gospels there are other traits as striking as those which I have mentioned. Consider, for instance, the whole character of Christ's discourses in reference to that object, which, from the nature of the case, he must have had first in view, the gaining of followers and disciples. He uses no arts of seduction. He takes no advantage of the prejudices or passions of those about him. In so far as they were mischievous and evil, he makes no compromise with them. He meets and opposes the darling hopes, the cherished selfishness, and the inveterate and consecrated errors of his countrymen, with a tone of authority the most direct and absolute. He speaks to his hearers, in the plainest language, of the hypocrisy and of the vices of those whom they had been accustomed to reverence for their reputed sanctity, and to regard as leaders and examples. He admits but one claim, and demands but one requisite, to his favor, -a sincere purpose of obedience to God. He repels

from him those who come with any worldly views. There can be nothing more decisive than the language in which he annihilates all earthly expectations, and presents to his disciples a distinct image of the life of suffering and danger on which they were about to enter. "They will revile you, they will persecute you; they will speak all evil against you, falsely, for my sake"; "they will scourge you in their synagogues"; "brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. .

You will be hated by all men for my sake." "He who kills you will think that he is offering a sacrifice to God."

What shall we say to the conception of a teacher, who is represented as making such predictions to his disciples? Is it drawn from reality? or are we indebted to the genius of certain unknown writers for this extraordinary delineation?

Let us attend to another example of his mode of addressing those who came to him: "Let him who would be my follower renounce himself, and come after me, bearing his cross." The Common Version, in rendering "deny himself," expresses nothing like the force of the original, which implies a total putting off of all selfish affections.