and faying no more than the occasion required. When, adjured by the high priest, he acknowledged that he was the Meffiah, he did not threaten him and his other judges with his future vengeance when he should be their judge. Though ill used by his countrymen, especially at Jerufalem, where he knew that he was to be crucified, he did not exult over them, on the forefight of the calamities they were thereby drawing upon themselves, but even wept in reflecting upon the approaching scene.

When perfons in a lower station are fuddenly called into public life, it rarely happens but that, though they may act with propriety for fome time, their heads are, as it were, turned at length, by their elevated fituation, and they fall into fome extravagance, or abfurdity of conduct, as was the cafe with Rienzi, Mafaniello, and many others. But Jefus preferved the fame dignity and propriety of conduct through the whole of his public miniftry, fhewing the fame prefence of mind from the beginning to the end of it. He paid no court, either to the great, or to the populace, feeling himself

independent of them both. Neither popular applaufe, of which at fome times he had his full fhare, nor popular infult, to which he was likewife expofed, ever betrayed him into any language, or behaviour, that was unworthy of him. We also fee in him nothing of pride or vanity, but the greatest gentleness, humility, and condefcenfion.

Many perfons, confcious of extraordinary powers of any kind, are greatly deficient in fenfibility and humanity. Occupied wholly about themselves, they have little feeling for others. But this was not the cafe with Jefus. His ftrong feeling for others appears on a variety of occafions, fo that his behaviour was equally dignified and engaging. His ftrong affection for his difciples is feen in hist whole behaviour to them, and efpecially in his discourse to them just before his death; when, without difcovering any concern about himfelf, every thing he faid was calculated to comfort and fupport them under the trying scenes which they had to go through. His particular friendship for the apostle John, and alfo for Lazarus, and his fifters, is

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noticed by these evangelifts, and feveral little circumstances, though trifling in themselves, indicate a most pleasing fenfibility; as his taking the young children in his arms when he bleffed them, his taking the young daughter of Jairus by the hand when he raised her to life, his doing the fame to the widow's fon at Nain, and then delivering him to the afflicted mother, and his laying his hands on many of the fick perfons when he relieved them.

But I fhall not content myself with this general account of the dignity of Jesus's conduct, but fhall review the whole of his history, that we may form a more distinct idea of it, and be properly impreffed by it. For this purpose I fhall confider in the first place his ufual ftyle and manner of addrefs in teaching; fecondly, the fame in his working miracles; and, laftly, his behaviour in general, independent of his teaching or working miracles.

1. That there must have been fomething uncommonly dignified, and authoritative, in Jesus's manner of teaching, is evident from the impreffion which it made upon his audience. After his difcourfe on

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the mount, which was the first of any length that he delivered, we read, Matt. vii. 28. "And it came to pass when Jefus had ended thefe fayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them as one hav-* ing authority, and not as the Scribes." When he had explained to his countrymen in the fynagogue of Nazareth a paffage in the Prophecy of Ifaiah, which he applied to himfelf, faying, Luke iv. 21. "This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears," we read that "they wondered at the graceful words (for fo it ought to be rendered) which proceeded out of his mouth," and expreffed their admiration by faying, "Is not this Jofeph's fon?" But perceiving their cavilling and envious difpofition, he replied, "Verily I fay unto you, no prophet is accepted in his own country."

When the officers who had been fent to apprehend him in the temple returned without doing it, and were reproved for it, they faid, John vii. 46. "Never man fpake like this man." When the fervants of the high priest were fent for the fame purpose to the garden of Gethsemane, whither they were led by the traitor Judas, he asked them whom they fought, and they faying, " Je

fus

fus of Nazareth," he replied to them in fuch a manner (John xviii. 6.) that "they went backward, and fell to the ground,' and did not venture to lay hands on him till he fpake to them again, and voluntarily fur→ rendered himself.

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2. Nothing but a consciousness of great fuperiority, even to all preceding prophets, could have led Jefus to his fingular manner of addrefs. "Verily, verily, I fay unto you," and others in which he speaks with peculiar emphasis in the first perfon, which frequently occurs in his difcourfes, as in his .very firft, Matt. v. 21. "Ye have heard that it has been faid by them of old time, Thou fhalt not kill, and whofoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the judgment, &c. fay unto you, that whofoever shall be with his brother without a caufe, fhall be in danger of the judgment." And verfe "Ye have heard that it has been faid, Thou fhalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I fay unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curfe you, do good to them that haté you, and pray for them that despitefully ufe you and perfecute you." ch. vi. 5. "When thou prayeft, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love

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