426 New Wine and Old Flasks. [MARK, ii. 18-22; LUKE, v. 33-39.

his doctrines, as to have acquired strength to endure any extraordinary hardships.

:

Christ would not discourage his disciples by over-rigorous institutions and it is unfit that his religion should be burdened with them. He suits the duties of his people to their circumstances; and kindly proportions their work to their strength, with a tender regard to their weakness, till, by degrees, they may be fitted for the more difficult and humbling services. The best of Christ's disciples pass through a state of infancy: all the trees in Christ's garden are not of the same growth. There are babes in Christ, and grown men: to the men, he gives meat; to the babes, milk. Christ would not speak to his disciples the many things which they could not bear. As Jacob was careful not to over-drive the cattle, nor expose the children to fatigue ; such is the care of Christ, exerted to the little ones of his flock: he leads them gently. When God brought Israel out of Egypt, he would not bring them by the way of the Philistines, lest they should repent, when they saw war, and return to Egypt. (Exod. xiii. 17.) From the example of Christ, and the whole genius of his Gospel, let us learn to make all proper allowances to those about us, that we may teach them, and train them up as they are able to bear it; not crushing them under any unnecessary load, nor denying them any indulgence which true friendship will permit us to grant them; lest the good ways of God should be misrepresented, disgraced, abandoned, through our imprudent, though well-meaning, severity; a caution to be peculiarly observed in our conduct towards young persons. Men sometimes cause a soul to lose that portion of grace which it had, by urging it too soon to engage in the ways of perfection, of which it is not as yet capable. Very auspicious beginnings and great hopes of conversion are often ruined by men's proceeding too hastily, by endeavouring to make their own designs take place, and to have the honour of that success which is due to God alone. Give, Lord, the spirit of thy conduct to the ministers of thy work, that they may know how to manage and improve thy interests in the souls of men, without the least damage to them. (DODDRIDGE. QUESNEL.)

Our Lord, dining in the house of a Pharisee, censures the vain glory of the guests, and their love of precedency. He inculcates the grace of general humility. LUKE, xiv. 7–11.

AND he uttered a parable [or moral precept] to those who were invited, when he observed how they took in preference the uppermost couches, saying unto them, 8, When thou art invited by any man to a marriage-feast, do not go and recline upon the uppermost couch: lest a more honourable man than thou be invited by him; 9, and he who invited thee and him, come and say to thee, Give place to this man' and thou shouldest begin, with shame, to take the lowest couch. 10. But, on the contrary, when thou art invited, go and recline on the lowest couch: that when he who invited thee, comes into the room, he may say to thee,' Friend, go up to a higher couch, nearer to mine.' Then thou shalt have respect and honour in the sight of thy fellowguests. 11. For whosoever exalteth himself, shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.

The triclinium (or dining-room) takes its name from usually having three couches; sloping somewhat in the form of a wedge or inclined plane : Dr. SMITH's "Dictionary of Antiqq." p. 443. The number of couches varied according to the number of guests. They were arranged as follows:

1-9 denote couches. After the meal, the guests leaned on their left elbow. tt 5 denote tables for each guest, or each separate party of guests. e, the entrance for the slaves, to arrange the tables, and wait upon the guests.

t'9

Among the Romans, three, sometimes four, persons reclined on one couch among the Greeks, five,-sometimes more.

When three persons occupied a couch, the middle place was the most honourable. The host reclined on the middle couch (2) of those which were placed across, at the upper end. His couch was esteemed the most honourable. The others increased in honour, as they approached the upper end. See, ante, p. 352.

Our Lord recommends his disciples to place themselves

modestly, as at 8, or 9: that when the host enters, he may invite them to go up higher, as to 4 or 5, or to one of the cross couches.

THE instruction, primarily directed by our Lord to abate the pride of the Pharisees, who claimed, on all occasions, the homage of precedence, is not less intended for the instruction of his disciples in general.

Humility is a grace of the first rank and eminence in Christianity. It is mentioned in Scripture with peculiar marks of distinction and honour. "What doth the Lord require of thee, O man, but to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah, vi. 8.) "Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly; but the proud he knoweth afar off." (Psal. cxxxviii. 6.) "Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven," in the Gospel-dispensation. (Matth. xviii. 4.) "Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity: I dwell with him also that is of an humble spirit." (Isa. lvii. 15.)

Humility is a necessary introduction to the graces and duties of Christianity. It is necessary to faith. Without this, we shall not be in a disposition to receive the doctrines of divine Revelation, as undoubted truths, upon the sole testimony of God. Pride caused "Christ crucified, to be a stumblingblock to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks."

Humility is necessary to obedience. A proud heart must be humbled before it can say, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"

Without humility, we shall not value and receive a Saviour, as he is offered in the Gospel. We shall not be fond of being beholden to another for our pardon and acceptance with God, till we have an abasing sense of our own guilty and miserable condition. The Pharisee trusted in himself, that he was righteous, and so came to God with an arrogant self-sufficiency: the publican, having a sense of his unworthiness, humbly prayed, "God be merciful to me the sinner."

Without humility, we shall not prize the grace of the Holy Spirit, nor live in a constant dependence on his aids.

Without humility, we cannot persevere in our adherence to Christ. The proud man, full of himself, is not easily content to be meanly thought of by others, and to sacrifice reputation

and comfort to the pleasing of God and the securing of a good conscience.

Without humility, we shall be indisposed to receive assistance, in the way to heaven, from the admonitions of pious friends and parents; supposing ourselves too good proficients to learn.

Without humility, we cannot perform our duty to our fellowcreatures. A haughty mind will ill comport with becoming all things to all men, that we may gain some: with pleasing our neighbour for his good to edification; with forgiveness of injuries; with condescension to the weaknesses of other men.

Humility is a grace which recommends religion to every beholder. And, therefore, as we are concerned to "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour," and to "take care that our good be not evil spoken of," it concerns us to live in the grace of humility.

Humility is eminently recommended to us by the examples of the most eminently pious men. Job refused to justify himself before God. Abraham styled himself dust and ashes. St. Paul called himself the least of all saints.

In the character of Christ, there is hardly one part, of which the Gospel gives more instances than of his humbleness of mind; nor any in which he is more frequently and expressly proposed to us for a pattern.

Though he was no lower a person than God for evermore, yet he was content to take upon him the nature, the state, the sinless infirmities of mankind, to be made of a woman, made under the Law. From this condescension, the apostle argues, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, took upon himself the form of a slave, and was made in the likeness of men."

When Jesus appeared in the world, in human nature, he contented not himself merely to lay aside the glory of heaven; but he appeared with many circumstances of meanness. He descended from a family which was then very obscure; which had lost the ancient grandeur of his father David. There were no sumptuous preparations made for his nativity; but, in his after-life, as now, he had scarce a place where to lay his head. While he was growing up, he lived with his reputed father; and thence was styled on one occasion, the "carpenter's son."

When he entered upon his public ministry, the generality of his disciples were poor fishermen, or men in a low condi

tion.

As man, he was a pattern of great humility towards God. "He sought not his own glory, but the glory of him that sent him." He ascribed the glory of his works to his Father. He paid him all religious homage in acts of worship, and cheerfully submitted to his will in the severest and the most degrading sufferings.

Our Lord, as a pattern of the greatest humility to mankind, was ready to condescend to the meanest persons, in order to their good. He stood still in the road, and regarded the cry of a blind mendicant, when the multitude would have silenced the importunate petitioner. We behold our Lord taking up children in his arms, and blessing them, though his disciples had endeavoured to prevent their approach. He washed the feet of his disciples, that he might teach them a lesson of humility and courtesy towards others. He made it evident in his whole conduct, that he came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.

Inference 1. Those who are destitute of this grace, whatever profession they have made of Christianity, have, in truth, the rudiments of it yet to learn. If they have been soaring upward to heaven itself in the sublimest speculations; if they have built up their hopes to the greatest height upon other grounds, without laying this at the foundation; they must be content to come down again to learn this lesson, which enters into the elements of Christ's religion. A proud Christian is a contradictory character; as much as it would be to say, a wicked saint. The whole Gospel, in its precepts, its great example, its glorious prospects, tends to humble the pride of man and, therefore, whoever will come after Christ, must, in this respect, deny himself.

2. We should look principally to the temper of our spirits, in order to judge of our humility. We may have the character of humble people with men from a modest outside, a condescending carriage, and lowly speeches; while God who searches the heart, may see there pride reigning under these fair disguises; and that all such plausible appearances are only intended to gratify and support a haughty and overbearing dispo