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knowledge; as a genuine devotion to God can never be felt without "the light of his countenance," or a feeling of his presence; and that, alas! is not so common as many suppose. No more, unfortunately, is another sort of piety that may be mentioned. And

=6, While the Subject's devotion or heavenward piety is remembered, we ought not to forget his human species of the same property, or the example that he gave in respect of a dutiful submission to his earthly parents an heavenly example upon an earthly relation. Which may be thought a remarkable particular in the composition of this perfect model; considering his great superiority, as one might suppose, over these parents only in human abilities, to go no farther. We think a great deal sometimes of examples of submission reversed, that is when proceeding from higher to lower; as will necessarily happen sometimes through the natural vicissitude of human affairs: but what are these forced examples compared with the voluntary and systematic deference in common matters of the only begotten Son of God to his earthly parents; and that not for any particular emergency or occasion, but ordinarily for the whole period of his early life? If a messenger from Heaven had to pass over the town of Nazareth or its neighbourhood on some divine commission during the extraordinary residence alluded to -one should think, he could not fail to remember it, and worship as he passed!

=7, Finally; after enumerating those several examples which the Subject afforded of perfection in the spiritual appetitive department, it may not be amiss, to mention generally his example also in the opposite or aversive department. To those fond philanthropists who hold that no man is to be hated on any account-no, not the greatest villain, while they own he deserves hanging-to such the ascribing of a class of properties of an opposite or aversive character to the very essence of love may seem inconsistent, or at least, very unpalatable. And truly the aver

sive properties should be cautiously encouraged in ordinary subjects, as being very unsafe through their approximation to malignity: but it therefore seems the greater advantage for those who would use their natural and indispensable properties aright, to have so eminent an example on this head as the Son of God himself before their eyes. For by this example they are taught both whom they should avoid, and whom they may safely hate -namely those who hate God, according to a passage (Ps. cxxxix. 21, 22) before cited: using great caution at the same time, with this broad, clear, and authentic example before their eyes, in cultivating truly Christian aversions and acting truly upon them; without recurring to the old leaven of malice, and going back as it were in their lessons of love.

But some of these aversions do not amount to hatred, nor even to dislike; and yet may be truly termed Aversions, DELICATE AVERSIONS; such, for instance, as our Great Exemplar testified towards the poor demoniac, whom he so kindly and effectually relieved (Mark v. 8): and the poor man would have been glad to follow his deliverer; "howbeit Jesus suffered him not" (Ibid. 19). For this rejection could not have proceeded from a natural loathing of the man on account of his affliction; as he must have been more loathsome before it was removed: it can only be imputed to the man's want of faith-appearing in this, namely, that when Jesus bid him go and tell his friends how great things the LORD had done for him, "he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis, how great things JESUS had done for him" (Ib. 19, 20); not believing in God, as he ought, but in the man, as he was considered. And this construction of the case is authorized by another similar to it; where a blind man who had been also cured by Jesus appeared to believe rather in God, and, on account of that belief, most likely, was suffered to follow him, as he did, "glorifying God" (Luke xviii. 43)..

Many other examples of a nice discrimination, in the

use or exercise of our aversions were shewn on different occasions by the Subject; who had no ridiculous fastidi+ ousness, unaccountable antipathies, nor any other aversive weakness, much less such a thing as ill humour, to spoil their effect but this is not a time to insist on these par→ ticulars; nor on the example that he also set in other shades of the same quality; as in caution and vigilance of a milder sort, and in resolution, courage, fortitude, and others of the kind, of which the aversive character is still less apparent.

For there are also belonging to the Subject, or Second Mediate,

-3, Intellectual properties of a more human description than the divine, or supernatural, wisdom and light hereafter ascribed to him; as 1, Policy in his ministerial or professional conduct; with 2, Eloquence in speaking; and 3, Dexterity in reply; accompaniments of great account to policy, -and all deserving at the least a short mention in this general notice of the Subject's humanity, whatever surprise or objection may be conceived at finding them, or any of them, included in such company as that in which they now stand. For

=1, Policy, like some other characteristics that might be mentioned, will have different meanings with different observers. What some regard as policy, and something to be proud of; others would be apt to regard as paltry simulation, and despicable craft, and be ashamed to own. But there is nothing of that kind in the property here con templated; v. g. policy for a Christian, consistent policy,→→ an humble neighbour to wisdom, but honourable in its poverty: which was strikingly exemplified in the life of the Subject; and, when accompanied with perfect inoffensiveness, a property before supposed in him, is no more than he also inculcated by precept or profession, as well as by example; bidding his followers to "be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" in the midst of the wolfish world (Matt. x. 16), and not exemplifying, like some other models to

whom he alluded, a practice that he could not venture to teach. "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: (said he) all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe, and do; but do not ye after their works: FOR THEY SAY AND DO NOT" (Ib. xxiii. 2, 3). And then he shews what they do; being clearly a few things that they would not care to acknowledge (Ib. v. 4, to the end).

Far above craft and simulation himself, he was at the same time eminent for that consistent, and therefore HONEST policy which indeed is best seen in his ministerial part; and consequently, best reported under the head of his ministry in another place *. We ought likewise not to for-. get, that there are other characteristics of the Subject connected with this, which we are still to consider; as

2, The highly intellectual property of Eloquence; which the Subject must have enjoyed even silently as well as audibly in a power of persuading without utterance, a power like fascination: though by eloquence is properly meant a speaking out, an original, outright speaking,-different not only from that, but also from another kindred part, that of answering and repartee, the political importance of which may also be considerable by chance. And that was a pretty sensible indication of the effect of the Subject's eloquence; when he could detain thereby a multitude to the number of some thousands, besides those who were coming and going, in a desert place, as if they were chained or rivetted to the foot of a mount, on which he had taken his station, for a space of three days, and after exhausting their provision so entirely, that they had not a meal left to help them homeward: when the best sermon that one of his poor successors is able to make, shall not obtain him a patient hearing for three hours, nor hardly for three quarters. But perhaps an effect like that could not well be ascribed to mere human eloquence: so exquisite a treat for intellect, and still more, its recom

S. K. 10; Jesus, Mediation, and Ministry.

#mendation, must have been as great a miracle almost as that of the loaves and fishes with which it was accompanied. (Matt. xv. 29, &c.) For however divine the substance of our Lord's discourse, of which we have a sketch in the fifth and following chapters of St. Matthew, may appear, and certainly is, one must go a great way at present to find a congregation of some thousands who would sit to hear it read from beginning to end, short as some may think it, unless they were fascinated by the way in which it was delivered. And who can say what fascination there might not have been in that delivery? There are two motives contributing to the effect of eloquence particularly; which are love and fear: and the Subject knew, no doubt, how to employ them both. But it is to the former chiefly and to the intelligence with which it was expressed, that the effect of his delivery in that divine exhortation must be ascribed. It was the Subject's entire devotion to his objects or hearers, as well as deep conviction of the truth that lent a natural charm, if it was not more than natural, to his preaching-a part sufficiently benevolent in itself. The remarkable part of that office with him does not immediately appear: as others had preached to the same effect before,-like Noah for example, "while the ark was a preparing; wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water" (Pet. I. iii. 20); and for the rest, "they did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all" (Luke xvii. 27). So Lot too had preached before, but seemed as one that mocked (Gen. xix. 14): "and they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven, and destroyed them all" (Luke xvii. 28, 29). So Jonah likewise had preached to the same effect before, and perhaps more nearly to the same effect with the Subject; his preaching being happily attended with the salvation of a whole city

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