light of his age, but, the light of the world. He had to contend, not merely with the most abject poverty, but with the most inveterate prejudices. In propagating his benevolent doctrines, he had to bear up against the envy of his equals, the curse of the priest, the pride of the pharisee, the malignity of the bigot, the contumely of the rich man, the scorn of the great. In carrying into effect his sublime purposes, he had to contend, not, merely, with a host of ordinary foes, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.' Nevertheless he pursued his glorious career, undaunted by opposition, unappalled by the difficulties of the way.

of

It is a principle of human nature,' says Dr. Channing, that except in case of insanity, some proportion is observed between the power an individual and his plans and hopes. The purpose to which Jesus devoted himself was as ill suited to his condition as an attempt to change the seasons, or to make the sun rise in the west. That a young man in obscure life, belonging to an oppressed nation, should seriously think of subverting the time-hallowed and deep-rooted religions of the world, is a strange fact: but with this purpose, we see the mind of Jesus thoroughly imbued; and, sublime as it is, he never falls below it in his language or conduct; but speaks and acts with a consciousness of superiority, with a

* See Discourse on the Evidences.

dignity and authority, becoming this unparalled destination.'

Thus have I endeavoured to point out a few of the more remarkable peculiarities in the charac ter of Jesus. It were impossible, indeed, to notice, within the limits to which we are necessarily restrained, any very considerable portion of what might be adduced relevant to this branch of our subject. Nevertheless, in what has been brought under review, there is, as it seems to me, enough to found an argument of the truth of Jesus' assertion, The words which ye hear, and the works which ye see, are not mine, but the Father's who sent me.' For, as we observed, first, the cha racter of Jesus was entirely original, owing none of its excellences to imitation, of any previous model, or of the men of his own day; but that these excellences burst forth, underived from any but that Almighty Being, who poured out upon him of his spirit without measure. Secondly, the character of Jesus, was entirely consistent, in every variety of circumstance, and in the most trying situations, and that this consistency was peculiarly remarkable in his uniform display of a rational piety-in his disinterested and universal benevolence in his mildness and dignity. ·

We remarked, that if an impostor could have assumed a character so utterly peculiar, he could not, in the trying situations in which Jesus was placed, have maintained it with consistency. Thirdly, the character of Jesus was transcendently moral. Fourthly, the manner of Jesus in conveying instruction was as original as his character.

Fifthly, the manner in which Jesus exhibited the evidence of his divine mission, was that of nature and truth, and corresponded with the predictions of the prophets. And, lastly, that the greatness of the views and purposes of Jesus, compared either with his humble condition, or with the views and purposes of the most enlightened men of his age, was an evidence of his divine mission.

The unbeliever may perhaps attempt to account for these peculiarities upon natural principles. Some of them, indeed, considered separately and apart from the rest, might, perhaps, be thus accounted for; but all these characteristics could not have been united in a person situated as Jesus was, and passing through the scenes which Jesus passed through, unless his pretensions to the office of the Messiah had been founded in truth. If the consistency, or the morality, or the peculiar manner of Jesus, might be accounted for upon natural principles, when considered apart from his claims to be regarded as the 'beloved Son of God,' yet, when viewed in conjunction with these, they do, unless such claims be just, present an anomaly in human character utterly unaccountable-for, imposture and moral excellence cannot be combined. -Grant that Jesus was divinely commissioned, and the entire consistency of his character and his transcendent morality, are perfectly explicable,they present a beautiful image of wisdom and virtue embodied in human form; but deny his pretensions, and we have a character utterly mysterious-unknown either to imagination, or experience.

But lest the transcendent excellence of the character of Jesus should be denied, and the unbeliever should accuse me of presenting a partial view of the great Exemplar, whom the wise and good of so many ages have been proud to follow, I would adduce evidence from a quarter, which. he cannot, consistently, hesitate to receive. Turn we to the camp of the enemy for information upon this subject; if there be a failing observable in the character of Jesus, it will not pass unnoticed there.

'Vanini,'

says Dr. Prideaux, 'was one of the most zealous champions of impiety that ever appeared against the Christian cause-for he died a martyr for it-has not attempted to find in the gospel of Jesus any thing that savours of worldly interest. But after the most diligent search which so keen an adversary could make, he was forced to give up the point, and plainly acknowledge that, in the whole series of the history and actions of our Saviour, he could not find any thing that he could charge with secular interest or design, with which either to blast him or his religión.'

Mr. Chubb, a celebrated unbeliever, says, In Christ we have an example of a quiet and peace

See Maltby's Illustrations of the Truth of the Christian Religion.

Concerning this opponent of Christianity, Dr. Mosheim, in his Ecclesiastical History, says, that he was publicly burned at Toulouse, in the year 1629, as an impious and obstinate atheist. It is nevertheless to be observed, that several learned and respectable writers consider this unhappy man rather as a victim to bigotry and envy, than as a martyr to impiety and atheism; and maintain, that neither his life nor his writings were so absurd or blasphemous as to entitle him to the character of a despiser of God and religion.

able spirit, of a becoming modesty and sobriety; just and honest, upright and sincere; and, above all, of a gracious and benevolent temper and behaviour. After several encomiums, expressed nearly in the language of scripture, he proceeds,

His life was a beautiful picture of human nature, when in its native purity and simplicity; and showed at once what excellent creatures men would be when under the influence and power of that gospel he preached to them."'

Lord Bolingbroke admits, that, 'the gospel is, in all cases, one continued lesson of the strictest morality, of benevolence, and of universal charity.'

Rousseau, after comparing the character of Jesus with that of Socrates, and preferring the former, proceeds to say, 'If the life and death of Socrates are those of a philosopher, the life and death of Jesus Christ are those of a God.' With respect to the invention of the gospel, he says, 'It is not thus that men invent: and the actions of Socrates, concerning which no one doubts, are less attested than those of Jesus Christ. After all, this is shifting the difficulty instead of solving it: for it would be more inconceivable that a number of men should forge this book in concert, than that one should furnish the subject of it. Jewish authors would never have devised such a manner, and such morality; and the gospel has characters of truth so great, so striking, so perfectly inimitable, that its inventor would be still more astonishing than its hero.'*

* Emile. See also Maltby, from whom this quotation is made.