the prophet of God, the promised Messiah, the revealer of life-and this without one single slip, or failure-that to have invented such a character, had it been fictitious, would have required an elevation of genius, and a comprehension of mind, far beyond what the adversaries of the christian religion would be willing to allow to the plain evangelical historians, or what the friends of revelation would desire to challenge on their behalf. The writers of the history of Christ were men of plain understandings, perfectly competent to relate a simple artless tale of what they had seen with their eyes, and heard with their ears; and of events which were of such public notoriety that no person who lived at the time when, or in the place where, these transactions are said to have occurred, ever attempted to call them in question. But there is nothing in their writings, which are the only remaining criteria of their talents and character, which can justify the supposition that they would ever have projected an imposition so extraordinary, or that they

could possibly have succeeded if they had embarked in so rash and profligate an undertaking. For to conceive a great and extraordinary character, to place that character in uncommon circumstances, and to support it uniformly and consistently through a variety of difficult and interesting scenes, is one of the greatest efforts of human genius. Since therefore the evangelists could never have invented the character which they have so correctly delineated, they must have had the great original before their eyes-their history therefore must be true. Christ himself must have existed: he must have been in all respects what they have described, and consequently he must have sustained the character which he professed-be fully entitled to all the homage which he claims. The argument is clear; and the conclusion irresistible.

The little incident, from the narrative of which the text is extracted, is a beautiful illustration of these remarks. The The evange

list, by a concise, artless relation of simple

facts, without any observation or comment of his own, has here exhibited our honoured master as a pattern of piety and devotion, far beyond the ordinary limits of human attainment: a devotion the most affecting and sublime, and at the same time at an infinite remove both from the ignorance and folly of a mean and blind superstition, and from the wild ravings and the still more odious familiarities of a gross and fanatical enthusiasm. I will venture to say that no one, whose mind had not been enlightened with the purest and most exalted conceptions of God, and whose heart had not been moulded into the most entire subjection to his will, would have been capable of imagining, or delineating such a character as this. The evangelist would never have formed the conception of an incident, so unusual, and at the same time so natural, and which so beautifully illustrates the dignity, and the devoted piety of the mind of Jesus, had not the event really occurred. It is an incident which in the reflecting mind must excite the highest idea of our Lord's charac

ter, and in the pious mind an earnest desire to resemble it; while the truly humble spirit will not dare to hope that it shall ever equal the great original.

It is my present purpose to illustrate the propriety and dignity of the conduct of Christ upon this interesting occasion, and to recommend it to the imitation of his fessed disciples.

pro

Our Lord was at Jerusalem, whither he was come to celebrate his last, perhaps his only passover; and well apprized of the events which were immediately to take place. Some devout Greeks, serious persons, who were probably proselytes to the Jewish religion, and who were come up to Jerusalem in obedience to the law, at this grand annual festival, were desirous of being introduced to the illustrious prophet, of whom they had heard so much: perhaps expecting, like Herod, that he would work some miracle for their amusement: or, possibly, influenced by a better motive, they were desirous of listening to the instructions of this heavenly teacher. When

these inquirers were introduced by the Apostles Andrew and Philip to our Lord, he delivered a discourse upon the occasion, of which the Evangelist has preserved some brief hints and the purport of which was, to announce to these pious Greeks that the time was now come, when the Gentiles should be received into the church of God, and be admitted to all the privileges of God's chosen people. The hour, saith he, is come, when the Son of Man shall be glorified.

But he further adds, that this event would not take place, but in consequence of his own previous sufferings and death. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall to the ground and die, it abideth alone; but, if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. This naturally led him faithfully to warn those who were inclined to enlist themselves in his service, that they, like him, were not to expect their remuneration in the present state: that they were entering upon a warfare of great labour and danger; but that, if they would per