inafmuch as the terms are

never ufed of

Chrift in the gospels, nor is any formal character of him drawn in any part of the New Teftament.

Thus we fee the devoutnefs of his mind, in his frequent retirement to folitary prayer*; in his habitual giving of thanks†; in his reference of the beauties and operations of nature to the bounty of providence ‡; in his earneft addreffes to his Father, more particularly that short but folemn one before the raifing of Lazarus from the dead §; and in the deep piety of his behaviour in the garden, on the last evening of his life; his humility, in his conftant reproof of contentions for fuperiority ¶: the benignity and affectionateness of his temper, in his kindnefs to children **, in the tears which he thed

* Mat. xiv. 23. ix. 28. xxvi. 36.

over his falling country*, and upon the death of his friend †; in his noticing of the widow's mite; in his parables of the good Samaritan, of the ungrateful fervant, and of the pharifee and publican, of which parables no one but a man of humanity could have been the author: the mildness and lenity of his character is discovered, in his rebuke of the forward zeal of his difciples at the Samaritan village §; in his expoftulation with Pilate ; in his prayer for his enemies at the moment of his fuffering ¶, which, though it has been fince very properly and frequently imitated, was then, I apprehend, new. His prudence is difcerned, where pru-. dence is most wanted, in his conduct upon trying occafions, and in answers to artful queftions. Of these the following are examples-His withdrawing, in various inflances, from the firft fymptoms of tumult **, and with the exprefs care, as appears from

*Luke xix. 41.
Luke ix. 55.
**Mat xiv. 22.

† John xi. 35.

John xix. 11.
Luke v. 15. 16.

Mark xii. 42. Luke xxiii. 34. John v. 13. vi. 15.

St.

St. Matthew*, of carrying on his miniftry

in quietnefs; his declining of

every species of interference with the civil affairs of the country, which difpofition is manifested by his behaviour in the cafe of the woman caught in adultery †, and in his repulse of the application which was made to him, to interpofe his decifion about a difputed inheritance: his judicious, yet, as it should feem, unprepared anfwers, will be confeffed in the cafe of the Roman tribute §; in the difficulty concerning the interfering relations of a future ftate, as propofed to him in the inftance of a woman who had married seven brethren; and, more especially, in his reply to those who demanded from him an explanation of the authority by which he acted, which reply confifted, in propounding à question to them, fituated between the very difficulties, into which they were infi diously endeavouring to draw him ¶.

Our Saviour's leffons, befide what has al

* Mat. xii. 19. Mat. xxii. 19.

+ John viii, 1.
Il Ib. 28.

+ Luke xii. 14. ¶ xxi. 23 et feq.

ready

ready been remarked in them, touch, and that oftentimes by very affecting reprefentations, upon fome of the most interesting topics of human duty, and of human meditation; upon the principles, by which the decisions of the last day will be regulated*; upon the fuperior, or rather the fupreme, importance of religion †; upon penitence, by the most preffing calls, and the most encouraging invitations; upon felf-denial §, watchfulness, placability ¶, confidence in God **, the value of fpiritual, that is, of mental worship, the neceffity of moral obedience, and the directing of that obedience to the fpirit and principle of the law, inftead of feeking for evafions in a technical conftruction of its terins ‡‡.

* Mat. xxv. 31 et feq.

Mark viii. 35. Mat. vi. 31-33. Luke xii. 16. 21.

-4, 5·

+ Luke xv.

§ Mat. v. 29.

Mark xiii. 37. Mat. xxiv. 42.--XXV. 13,

Luke xvii. 4. Mat. xviii. 33.

If we extend our argument to other parts of the New Teftament, we may offer, as amongst the best and shortest rules of life, or, which is the fame thing, defcriptions of virtue, that have ever been delivered, the following paffages:

"Pure religion, and undefiled, before God, and the Father, is this; to vifit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world *"

"Now the end of the commandment is, charity, out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith unfeigned +.

"For the grace of God that bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, righteoufly, and godly, in this present world ‡.”

*

Enumerations of virtues and vices, and
James i. 27. +1 Tim. i. 5.

Tit. ii. 11, 12.

thofe