who can judge of the propriety of his remarks from a knowledge of that which occasioned them; and still more those, who feel an interest in the subjects, on which he treats, which their importance is so fitted to excite;-all such will be disposed to assent to the declaration; "Never man spake like this man."-" His word was with power;" for "he knew what was in man."-He appeals to the conscience in a brief, yet impressive manner; He displays the attribute of omniscience, which "understands long before" the secrets of the heart; manifests an acquaintance with the intentions of his hearers; and answers the doubt, objection, and cavil, when "scarce struggling into birth," or at least not yet clothed in words. The questions, upon which he decides, without hesitation, embarrassment, or ambiguity, are such as calm the fears, remove the doubts, and answer the inquiries, which have in all ages exercised the sagacity of our fellow-men. He opens to us the door of hope, points out the objects of faith, and describes the pathway of obedience. He speaks as befits one who "has the words of eternal life1; with that solemnity, which challenges our attention; with that authority, which evidences not the presumptuous confidence of the conceited sciolist, but the deep and abiding conviction of Him, who "speaks of what he has known, and testifies what he has seen."-And as he declares to us the awful alternative of either believing in him, or of dying in our sins; so he also directs

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our attention to those several facts, considerations, and inquiries, by which we may be assured that "he came forth from God';" and that no one cometh to the Father, but by him, as the appointed way, the truth, and the life."

1. In reviewing our Saviour's discourses, the first thing which strikes us with reference to the manner of his teaching, is, the authority with which he spake.

(1) And, in the first place, with what conscious dignity and authority does he express himself, when he speaks of his own divine origin; of his dwelling in the bosom of the Father; of his intimate knowledge of the Father, and his union with Him in counsel, in authority, and in power; of his death, his resurrection, and ascension up to heaven to the right-hand of God; and of his coming again in glory as the Judge of the world. It is impossible that any one can peruse in an unimpassioned manner all our Saviour's discourses on these subjects, without feeling that "he spoke of what he had known and testified of that which he had seen." This is true of those discourses which were not accompanied by any miracle: how much more then is it true of those discourses which were accompanied by miracles; as when he said to the sea, "Peace, be still;" and when the devils, obedient to his word, came forth from those who were possessed by them. Well might his disciples and the multitudes be astonished, when they beheld these displays of almighty

1 Ib. xvi. 30.

2 Franks' Hulsean Lectures for 1821. pp. 55--57.

power, and exclaim,-"What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"

(2) The same characteristic belongs also to what may be called his moral teaching. This is remarkable in that, which is the earliest of our Saviour's recorded discourses, his Sermon on the Mount. In this discourse, in which our divine Master arrays himself in direct opposition to the prevailing opinions of his own time, and places duties, which had been enjoined by the Jewish law, in a light in which no other teacher before him had ever viewed them, and in which they never could have been placed by any one who did not possess an intimate knowledge of the heart of man and of the attributes and perfections of God, he delivers his commands with an unostentatious dignity and authority, which, without attempting any peculiar display, is founded on an intimate knowledge of the human heart, and an absolute controul over the present and eternal destinies of man. Such is the tone of dignity and authority with which he pronounces the blessing of heaven upon the poor in spirit, the meek, the pure in heart, the merciful; and teaches his followers, that, when they were persecuted for righteousness' sake, they were blessed, because their's was the kingdom of heaven! Such also is the sublime dignity with which he enjoins the duties of prayer, of forgiveness, of reliance on the goodness of our heavenly Father for all the necessaries and comforts of our lives; and with which he

3 Matth. viii. 27. Mark i. 27.

commands us to "seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness," and to commit all our hopes and desires in this world to "our heavenly Father, who knoweth that we have need of these things'." He declares the respect which is due to the Law and the Prophets; but he declares his own superiority to both. "Think not that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For I say unto you, Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes nad Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Ye shall not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery : but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman so as to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." What teacher, who was not divine, could thus authoritatively lay down the distinction between that part of the Law which was to be retained and that which was to be abolished; could presume to describe the peculiar character of that righteousness which God would accept, and the spirit in which our duties must be performed; or who, in laying a check on the irregular passions of man, could thus have ventured to place it where it is

1 Matth. vi. 32, 33.

2 Ibid. v. 17, &c.

most wanted,-on the heart, the seat of the whole evil, and the source from which the whole mischief flows? Or, lastly, when in enforcing his declaration, that, not every one that saith unto him, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of his Father which is in heaven, he adds with the most expressive solemnity, "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me all ye that work iniquity;" thus assuming to himself, not only the authority of a law-giver and an intimate knowledge of the designs and purposes of the heart, but appealing also to his own authority as the Judge of the world, on what other supposition can we explain the assumption of such authority, except that of the consciousness of his own divine character? But he had made no previous declaration of his character, as the Judge of the world. It is implied in his present declaration; and must more especially be looked for in his own subsequent declarations, and those of his Apostles; who appeal to his resurrection in proof of their assertion, -that God hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead".

3 Matth. vii. 21-23.

4 Acts xvii. 31.