ly prince; had he established his righteous kingdom in this world by force of arms; and rewarded his obedient fubjects with present honours; there would have been nothing wonderful in this cafe, nothing but what might have been accounted for in a natural way; because the means would have been proportionate to the end. But how different the circumstances of his real appearance? In that he took on him the form of a fervant, became poor, deftitute, afflicted. He invited not any to inlift under his banner with a view to prefent pleasure, honour, or profit: On the contrary, he called upon men to forfake all that they had, to deny themselves, to take up their crofs, and follow and learn of him, because he was meek and lowly in heart; with the promise of a mere spiritual reward little understood, and therefore lightly esteemed, viz. Reft to their Souls. Strange that an invitation fo discourag

ing, fubject to so many temporal inconveniencies, should make one Profelite! That any upon the very firft notice fhould actually leave all and follow him! Stranger yet that the Powers of the World fhould in fo fhort a time bend to the doctrine of the Crofs, and glory in being the followers of the meek and crucified Jefus ! Surely, all things confidered, the very being of the Chriftian Church is an obvious and irrefragable proof that it's builder and maker was God. But, not to pursue this argument, I shall make it my present business to confider,

First, The peculiar Character, by which our Lord recommended himfelf as a Teacher, (viz.) that He was meek and lowly in heart. And,

Secondly, The efficacy of his Doctrine to give reft to the Souls of Men.

1. I am in the first place to enquire into the fingularity and propriety of the Character, whereby our Lord recommended himself as a Teacher, (viz.) that "He was meek and lowly in heart."A character fingular, it must be owned, whether we compare it with the avowed principles of the Profeffors of Pagan wisdom, or of the Doctors of the Jewish Sanhedrim.

It was a received maxim amongst the Priests of antiquity, that Truth was not to be communicated to the Vulgar; who, under the notion of being prophane and unhallowed, were utterly excluded from the more facred folemnities. And whilft the popular worship confifted merely of fuch a portion of superstition and ceremony, as was deemed fufficient to anfwer political purposes; the purer doctrines of Religion were all disguised in fable, or wrapped up in cloud and myfVOL. I.

E

tery.

tery. Whatever writings concerned the faith of the initiated were carefully removed from common fight: And, to keep the people at a distance from any pretence to knowledge, not an oracle was to be confulted without a coftly oblation.

Nor were the Schools of the Philofophers more favourable to the promulgation of Truth, than the Colleges of the Priests. They confidered their speculations as of too elevated and refined a nature for ordinary minds. None but the rich and honourable were admitted to their lectures, however interesting the fubject: And to the end that the learning and knowledge, which had coft them fo much labour and expence in the acquiring, might not transpire to the prejudice of their profeffion; fecrefy and filence became the fanctions of their feveral fects, and were inviolably injoined their respective difciples.

Thus

Thus inacceffible to the bulk of mankind were the most important truths amidst the wife and learned in the Pagan world. But of the Jews better things might be expected. They were a peculiar people, fet apart by God himself for the preservation of true religion amongst men. To them were committed the Divine Oracles, together with the feverest injunction not only to keep them in their own heart, but moreover to teach them diligently to their children, "to the intent, that when they came up, they might fhew their children the fame." Surely this then, one would think, must be a wife and understanding Nation, a Nation acquainted with the truth from the highest to the lowest. But alas that their cafe was the very reverfe, is notorious beyond contradiction. At the time when our Bleffed Lord appeared amongst them, an extravagant fondness for tradition had well nigh eat