was his mind; and this supper was attended with a more splendid and more magnificent circumstance than the feasts of kings ever presented: Lazarus, whom our Lord raised from the dead after he had seen corruption, "was one of those who sat at meat,' and thus graced the triumph of this Conqueror of sin and death. The temptation of Jesus was preceded by a fast of forty days, resembling in its duration and miraculous nature the fasts of " Moses and Elias. As he entered on his ministry immediately afterwards, he thus taught us a general lesson, that we should fast on solemn occasions: a duty practised by the prophets • and teachers who separated Paul and Barnabas to the work of the ministry; and by Paul P and Barnabas themselves, when they ordained elders in the churches of Asia, and commended their converts to the Lord in whom they believed. We have not even an intimation in the gospels that our Lord fasted at other times. In one place indeed he regulated fasting as an acknowledged duty, and carefully removed from it all ostentation and in another, he observed to his apostles that great acts of faith were not to be exerted in performing the most signal miracles but by that higher degree of goodness to the attainment of which prayer and fasting contributed. But it is plain that he seemed remarkable to the disciples of John and of the Pharisees for not exercising his disciples in acts of abstinence. When r 8 n Exod. xxxiv. 28. 1 Kings xix. 8. • Acts xiii. 3. P ib. xiv. 23. 1 Matt. vi. 16-18. ib. xvii. 20, 21. Mark ii. 18, &c. OUR LORD'S MORAL CHARACTER. questioned about this, he assigned two reasons: that he would not anticipate the days of fasting which his afflicted and persecuted disciples would observe after his departure from them; and that he would not dis. courage new converts by requiring of them those severer duties which belonged to persons of full growth in religion, and capable of going on to perfection. This latter argument was not directly stated by him but delicately insinuated by the following similitudes. The conduct which is expected from me would be like adding a piece of new and unwrought cloth to an old garment or like putting new wine into old bottles of leather, which would burst them by its fermentation or like setting new wine before one who had immediately partaken of old wine. And as our Lord was so cautious not to give his religion a disgusting appearance, its true friends should follow his example; not expecting in any man a deadness to human society and human enjoyments; not exacting austerities which God has not commanded; not laying a great stress on indifferent or frivolous observances, which serve only to burden and disquiet men; not prescribing a particular kind of food, on certain days and at certain seasons, to all Christians in all places; but for the most part, leaving to general rules, and to private discretion, the total and partial, the stated and occasional, abstinence from lawful gratifications of our natural appetites.. Our Lord's strongest precept is, "If any man be willing to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me:" Whoever Luke ix. 23. t desires to be my follower at this particular time, must undergo a peculiar degree of self denial, and must expose his life daily. The true self denial of Christians in these ages is abstinence from vice: though all must allow that prudential acts of self denial, in matters of an indifferent nature, are incumbent on them, by way of moral discipline, and of subserviency to the habit of self government. Our Lord has abolished the Mosaic distinction of meats by the following solemn decision: ""Hear and understand: Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth a man:" meaning that the kind of food did not defile him, though the excessive degree might. The defilement which his disciples should avoid is that of the mind and conscience, by evil thoughts, words and actions. I do not find that the virtue of temperance is any where expressly inculcated by our Lord; though I need not say that it is repeatedly enjoined in the writings of his "apostles. Purity of heart, and a strict command of the eye, that it wander not to illicit objects, are * taught and enforced by him; and impurity is censured and forbidden. However, there are not wanting passages in our Lord's short instructions where excess is strongly condemned. "z Take heed lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness." And sudden and final destruction is twice denounced against the evil servant who shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming and shall eat and drink and be drunken. n Matt. xv. 11. : yib. v. 32. Mark vii. 22. x. 19. Matt. xxiv. 45-51. OUR LORD'S MORAL CHARACTER. SECTION VL OF OUR LORD'S MEEKNESS. THE regulation of anger is an important part of self government: and this virtue was eminently displayed by our Lord on many occasions. He has also both made it the subject of a precept, and pronounced a blessing on it: "a Blessed are the meek ; for they shall inherit the earth :" they shall enjoy ⚫ quiet, conciliate friends, and escape injuries. And he has forewarned us that improper anger will incur punishment: Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment." In another place he finely reproved the unjust anger of the Jews against the Gentiles, on account of their admission into the same external privileges with themselves under the Christian covenant. The parable to which I allude prophetically represents the elder brother as d angry, and refusing to partake of the feast which his compassionate father had prepared on the younger brother's return. In our Lord's conduct towards his disciples there appears as much mildness and gentleness, as there was dulness and unbelief among them. When they contended which should be the greatest, he gave them the softest reproof by setting a child before them, and teaching them that Christian greatness e 2 Luke xv. a Matt. v. 5. b Psal. xxxvii. 11. Matt. v. 22. See p. 28. was to be obtained by imitating such lowliness. When the resentment of James and John would have led them to consume the Samaritans by fire from heaven for their inhospitality, there was a quickness in his manner suited to the occasion; but the censurer wore a benign aspect, and suggested a palliation of their conduct in their ignorance: "He turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit YE are of: for the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." When the twelve so unseasonably contended for superiority on the night of the paschal supper, there was much kindness in his manner of correcting their false ideas. 8 Having observed the difference between his kingdom and worldly ones, exaltation among his followers depending on their humility; he proposed to them his own example during his intercourse with them, turned their views to future greatness in his spiritual kingdom, and enforced his gracious words by a most eminent act of humility in washing their feet an office of condescension, which he exhorted them to imitate in their general conduct towards each other. When, during his agony in the garden of Gethsemane, Peter, James and John, though commanded to watch and pray, slept through sorrow; though himself in an afflicted state of mind, which is most prone to impatience, and though not insensible of his slighted authority, of their culpable security in the midst of danger, and of their unconcern at his own anguish of soul, yet he softened his f Luke ix. 55, 6. See p. 171. ib. xxii. 24-30. John xiii. 1-15, í Compare Luke xxii. 45. John xvi. 6. |