will be bestowed that it may fuperfede the neceffity of your own exertions; that it you to lead a careless life, without labouring to ❝ work out your “falvation with fear and trembling (ƒ).” may enable Ask in the name of Jefus Chrift for the fanctifying aid of Divine grace; and it will not be withheld: ftudy to improve by that which is beflowed, and more will be granted. But "grieve not" by tranfgreffion "the Holy Spirit of God (g);" left you be abandoned to yourfelf," and given over to a reprobate mind (b)." 票 (f) Philip. ii. 12. (g) Ephef. iv. 30, CHAP. VIII. ON THE CHARACTER OF JESUS CHRIST, " and ye THE great pattern which a Chriftian is uniformly to propofe for his imitation, is the character of his Saviour. "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart : fhall find reft unto your fouls (a)." "I have given you an example, that ye "fhould do as I have done (b).”—“ Christ “fuffered for us, leaving us an example, " that ye fhould follow his fteps (c)."-" Be "like-minded one towards another, accord"ing to the example of Chrift Jefus (d).” "Let that mind be in you, which was in "Chrift Jesus (e)," When our Lord laid afide the glory which he had with the Father before the world was, and took human (a) Matt. xi. 29. (c) 1 Pet. ii. 21, (b) John, xiii. 15. (d) Rom. xv. 5. in the marginal translation. (e) Philip. ii. 5. nature nature upon him; "he was made like unto "his brethren, and was in all points "tempted like as we are (f)." Hence he is repeatedly styled in the Scriptures the Son of Man, the man Chrift Jefus; and is described as growing not in ftature only, but in wisdom, and in favour with God. Hence too there appears an obvious reason for those expreffions, in which he speaks of his inferiority to his Father, and his ignorance of a part of the divine counsels (g): expreffions which, but for this confideration, might have been deemed inconsistent with other expreffions of his own (b), and with the doctrine of his divinity. Regard ing him then in the ftate in which he manifefted himself in the flesh, as a man, converfant with men, encompassed with the infirmities and fubject to the pains and forrows of mortality; let us investigate, with fome degree of detail, the example which he has left for our imitation. (f) John, xvii. 5. (g) John, xiv. 28. (b) John, x. 15. 39. Heb. ii. 17. iv. 15. The The firft duty required of men is piety towards God. The fervent piety of our Lord was his earliest and most prominent diftinction. At the age of twelve years he left his mother and Jofeph, and repaired to. the Temple at Jerufalem; where he was found by them in the midst of the Jewish teachers, hearing them, and afking them. queftions. In answer to the Virgin Mary, whofe addrefs to him implied confiderable furprise, he faid, "How is it that ye fought "me? Wift ye not that I must be about my "Father's bufinefs (i);" employed in promoting the object for which I came into the world, the glory of my Heavenly Father? When occupied in the labours of his public miniftry, we find that it was his custom regularly to attend the fynagogues, the established places of worship, on the Sabbath, and to explain to the people the word of God (k). On every occafion he spoke with the utmost reverence of the Holy Scriptures. He exhorted his hearers to read and (i) Luke, ii. 48, &c. (k) Luke, iv. 16. fearch J fearch them out: he interpreted fuch parts as related to himself: he affirmed that they could not be broken; that not one circumftance recorded therein fhould pafs away without being fulfilled. In one of his parables he speaks in the feverest terms of those who defpifed or neglected the Scriptures; declaring that if the perfons whom he described would not hear and obey Mofes and the prophets, neither would they be convinced, though one fhould even be raised from the dead for their converfion. The rejection of Chriftianity by the Jews after his own refurrection practically confirmed the truth of this declaration. In all his actions he fhewed the warmeft zeal for the glory of God. When he came into the Temple, and faw the outward court crowded with people who fold oxen, fheep, and doves for facrifices; and with moneychangers, who fupplied fuch as wanted Jewish money in exchange for foreign coin ; he drove them from the place with indignation: and told them that the house of God was to be a houfe of prayer; but |