gentle, and peaceable to all men *. Ánd how did he teach them this important leffon? "Learn of me," fays he, " for I am meek and lowly, and ye shall find reft unto your "fouls." He exacted of them the most unblemished purity and fanctity of manners; a severe demand! but he had a right to make it; for he himself was " pure, holy, harmless, " and undefiled: he did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth ." He enjoined them to "deny themselves and take up their "crofs." But it was to follow him who had denied himself almost every comfort and convenience of life; and for the joy that was fet before him, "endured the crofs, and defpifed "the fhame" of an ignominious death §. He required them" to love their enemies, to blefs "them that curfed them, and pray for those that defpitefully used and perfecuted them ." A hard faying this; and, of all others, perhaps, the most revolting to human nature. But how could they refuse to give even this last and most painful proof of their obedience, who faw that their divine Mafter, when he was re *Tit. iii. 2. + Matth. xi. 29. Matth. xvi. 24. Heb. vii. 26. 1 Pet. ii. 22. ¶ Matth. v. 44. § Heb. xii. 2. R 4 viled, viled, reviled not again; but, in the very midit of his agony, prayed for his enemies and per fecutors*. No wonder that every word from fuch a teacher as this should fink deep into the hearts of all who heard him, and engage their affections, as well as convince their understandings. 7, and laftly. To the influence of example, he added the authority of A DIVINE TEACHER. The best and wifest of the ancient philofophers could do nothing more than give good advice to their followers; and we all know, from fad experience, what mere advice will do against ftrong paffions, eftablished habits, and inveterate corruptions. But our great Lawgiver, on the contrary, delivered all his doctrines, and all his precepts, in the name of GOD. He spoke in a tone of fuperiority and command, which no one be fore him had the courage or the right to affume. He called himfelf the SON OF GOD; and he constantly supported, in his words as well as in his actions, the dignity and the divinity 1 Pet. ii. 23. Luke xxiii. 34. of of that high character. Not to mention all his Thy Go in peace Matth. v. 3. 12. § Matth. viii. 3. " and fin no more*." And when he gives a description of the last day, he represents himfelf as an Almighty Sovereign, fitting on the throne of his glory, with all the inhabitants of the earth ftanding before him, to whom he distributes everlasting rewards and everlasting punishments, according to their deserts †. Well, then, might they fay of him, that his "word was with power, and that he taught "them as one having authority, and not as "the Scribes." Thefe, then, were the principal causes which gave fuch force and fuccefs to our Saviour's instruction, and compelled even his enemies to acknowledge, that "never man 66 A fpake as he spake." The confequence was "that all men fought him," and all who heard him, and were not blinded by their prejudices, forfook their fins, and followed "him." It is evidently our duty to do the fame; for the fame caufes, which gave fuch efficacy to our Saviour's preaching, do in a great degree still fubfift in the Gospel, and Mark v. 34. + Matth. xxv. 31. Luke iv. 42. Mark. i. 18. *Matth. ix. 2. ought ought to produce the fame effects. In one respect, indeed, we fall short of those who heard him. He is not perfonally present with us, nor has he❝ taught in our streets." Here it must be owned the first disciples had some advantage over us. They who had the happiness to fee and to hear him, whose fenfes were charmed, whofe hearts were fubdued by the venerable mildness of his look, the gracious majesty of his geftures, the awfully pleasing found of his voice, to whom all he had faid and done, with the very manner of his faying and doing it, was occurring every moment, and continually prefent in reality or in imagination: thefe, undoubtedly, must be moved and affected to a degree of which we can hardly form any just conception. Yet ftill his words carry a divine power along with them, fufficient to convince every understanding, and to fubdue every heart that is not hardened against conviction. We have still before our eyes, in the hiftories of the Evangelifts, the fublime and heavenly doctrines which he delivered, the parables he uttered, the fignificant actions he made use of, the inftructions |