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of them came to him, and faid, Get thee out and depart hence, for Herod will kill thee. Instead of a foothing or an evasive answer which, confidering the power and difpofition of Herod, could not perhaps have been cenfured; Go ye, fays he, and tell that fox, behold I caft out devils to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I fhall be perfected*.

But there is nothing can set this virtue of our Saviour in a stronger point of view than his behaviour, when the multitude, led on by Judas, came out armed with fwords and staves, and at a time of darkness too, which, as it is moft fuited to the purposes of malice and cruelty, is also most apt to raise timidity, for they had brought with them, as the evangelift John exprefsly mentions, lanterns and torches. His conduct upon this occafion is throughout so noble and magnanimous, that I am fenfible all words are unequal to my conceptions of its greatness. When Judas approached and faid, Hail mafter, and kiffed him, he calmly replies, Friend, wherefore art thou come? It was no wonder that all the effrontery of guilt

Luke xiii. 34 3.

guilt was filenced by the fedate majesty and meeknefs of divine virtue. Accordingly we read of no answer made by his revolted difciple, at that period, though, as his beloved difciple tells us, he knew all things that fhould come upon him, yet he fiepped forth to the mul titude, and faid, Whom feek ye? When they replied, fefus of Nazareth; He answers, I am he. As foon as he had faid, I am he, fays John, the multitude went backward and fell to the ground. The intrepidity of his reply appeared so astonishing, that the hearts of the cruel and merciless were almost changed; and had he been anxious to fave his life, no miracle would have been neceffary to have diverted their purpose. Then he asks them again, Whom seek ye? And when they said, anfwered, I have told

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fefus of Nazareth, he you that I am he; if, therefore, ye feek me, let thefe go their way'. The brave are ever merciful and compaffionate. And while Jefus himself meets fuffering with a daring and unfhaken mind, he discovers the most amiable attention to his followers, and that too in circumftances in which even a great mind

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$ John xviii. 4-6.

mind might have been properly engroffed with its own concerns. It truly appears to me, that the mere fuperiority and intrepidity of our Saviour's conduct, would have naturally produced fuch an effect upon the multitude, as to have fent them away without accomplishing their purpose, had it not been for the zealous interpofition of Peter, which gave them time to recover from their furprife, perhaps inflamed them anew, and beftowed fufficient courage to lead the unrefifting Jefus away. This difcourfe would admit of much practical improvement, if I had time to enlarge upon it. But I fhall contract what I have to fay into as narrow a compass as poffible.

In the first place, my brethren, what think ye of Chrift? Do not the exalted virtues which he practised, shew that he is the Son of the living God? Behold the admired wifh of the heathen fulfilled: virtue itself affuming a human shape, and dwelling among men. This is the divinity fet up in our temples. To him bow your knees, and to him offer your hearts.

2dly: From this particular delineation of fome of the virtues which were fo confpi

cuous

cuous in the life of Chrift, let us learn not” only a general admiration of thefe virtues, but let us afpire after the practice of them in the fimilar inftances of life and conduct, in which the Providence of God may place us. The refpect we pay to the qualities of the divine life, is by far of too general a naWe too rarely defcend to particulars. Who is the man that profits most by this difcourfe? He who goes away, applauding a devout temper? Or he who forms the refolution of becoming more devout, and puts his refolutions into practice? alone is the profitable hearer.

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SERMON XVII.

JOHN xix. 30.

When Jefus, therefore, had received the vinegar, be faid, It is finished: and he bowea his head, and gave up the ghost.

AMONG the infinitely various characters of men, there are a few who are attentive to whatever seems to be ferious and important: there are many to whose reason we fpeak in vain, if we cannot intereft their hearts there are fome of fo foft a mould, that whatever has the leaft degree of tendernefs melts and affects them; while others can fee and hear what is quite overpowering to fuch, and still remain unmoved. When we view men in a particular light, the variety of their characters, propenfities, inclinations and capacities, is amazing. When we survey them in a different point of view, their resemblance is as evident and ftriking. Their resemblance confifts in their original powers

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