AS THE EXAMPLE OF HUMAN VIRTUE TO HIS DIS-"

CIPLES this regards our Lord's private, as the former referred to his peculiar and official, character.

It might be doubted, indeed, how all these high and exalted particulars could stand with this additional claim which Christ advanced, of being the pattern and humble example of his followers. Surely here, we might think, our Saviour must fail to support an assumption apparently so contradictory. And yet it is here that his character shines forth most resplendent. The personal virtues of our Lord, the private tenor of his life, his spotless purity, benignity and grace, as fully make out his title to be the standard of moral excellency, as the rest of his character vindicates his other pretensions. There are, indeed, as the preceding topics demonstrate, parts of his conduct in which he is not imitable by us-he appears often as the only begotten of the Father, as the Saviour of the world, as one on whom the anointing Spirit immeasurably rested, to qualify him for a wholly peculiar ministry. But these actions are readily distinguished; and the far larger portion of our Saviour's conduct remains as the attractive object of our imitation and love.

Some SEPARATE VIRTUES in our blessed Master shall first be noticed; and then a few remarks offered on the UNION of them in his holy life.

1. Observe, first, HIS PIETY AND DEVOTION TO HIS HEAVENLY FATHER. Though he had no sin to confess, and no corrupt nature to subdue; yet how habitually fervent was he in his devotions, acknowledgments, and humiliation before his heavenly Father. He refers every thing to him. He begins no great act without solemn prayer; on more than one occasion spending the whole night in supplication. When he multiplied the five loaves and the two fishes for the supply of the five thousand, he looked up to heaven and blessed them. When he approached the grave of

Lazarus, he first prayed solemnly to his Father. He taught his disciples a prayer, which for brevity, as Paley observes, fullness of meaning, suitableness, and simplicity, stands unrivalled. He professed not to do his own will, but the will of his Father; to accomplish which was his meat and drink. Throughout his life, he directed every act to his Father's glory. Twice he purged the temple with severe authority, in order to vindicate his Father's honour. His trust in Him was uniform, strong, apparent, on every occasion. There was, so far as we can judge, a continued communion going on between his heavenly Father and the mind of our blessed Lord. Zeal for his glory so filled him, that he was straitened till he had accomplished his holy undertaking. 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, 17 Abp. Newcombe.

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.18 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,19 Weep not. And he came and touched the bier, (and they that bore him stood still,) and he said, Young man, I say unto thee, arise. And he that was dead sat up and began to speak, and he delivered him to his mother." Was ever such genuine, deeply-seated benevolence before seen! The whole narrative teems with compassion. Thus, also, when he was approaching the ungrateful city of Jerusalem, whose inhabitants were just about to imbue their hands in his blood, how did he weep over it, as winding round the heights of the Mount of Olives, it burst upon his view: his own sufferings forgotten, the shouts of the applauding multitude unheard, he is absorbed in the miseries about to fall on the people for their sins! Again, who can fully conceive of the compassion which led him, when expiring in death, to provide a refuge for his mother, when a sword was going through her very heart, as she beheld her son in the agonies of the crucifixion.

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18 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.

19 At once, before he had begun the intended restoration. 20 Luke vii.

21 Mr. Jowett mentions this touching circumstance in his Researches.

Time forbids me to point out how this benevolence of Christ flowed forth in "the forgiveness of injuries" -nor is it needful. Not a single word of resentment, nor any expression of personal displeasure, ever came out of his mouth. He was daily and hourly returning good for evil, till, on the cross, he prayed for the very wretches who were driving the nails into his hands and feet" Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." 22

Nor is it necessary to dwell on THAT MEEKNESS AND LOWLINESS OF SPIRIT which so remarkably appeared in our Lord, but which we have just noticed in describing his conduct in his state of humiliation. In fact, so meek was Jesus, and so confessedly was this the whole impress of his character, that he could call on his disciples to imitate him in this respect, without rendering his sincerity for a moment questionable. "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart.” 23 The soft and gentle spirit of Christ is ever apparent. "As a lamb dumb before his shearers, so opened he not his mouth." 24 Instead of the ambition, the susceptibility of affronts, the self-confidence, the personal importance, 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

22 Luke xxiii. 34.

23 Matt. xi. 29.-Bowdler. 24 Isaiah liii. 7.

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 splendour and an external Messiahship, such as the Jews designed 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 higher 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." 25

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 eat which his disciples knew not of;" whilst, as to them, they are compelled to go into the city to purchase food.26

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

25 John xvi. 33.

26 John iv. 8.