heard him confound the old and reverend teachers of our nation.His Wifdom, therefore, evidently not of man, must be from God!-and as no man can do the Works which he doeth, fo no man can speak the Wisdom which he speaketh, except God be with him."*

Thus must those persons naturally have reafoned, who knew the unhonoured Connexions of our bleffed Lord, and faw and heard the wonderful manifeftations of his divine power and wisdom..

Had he been allied to Opulence and Diftinction, and had he appeared invested with Grandeur and Authority, then would Unbelievers have told us" of the Submiffion and Obedience naturally attendant on such a perfon; of the interested views of his followers and difciples, implicitly affenting to his Doctrines, and acknowledging his Miracles, without daring to bring them to an impartial examination.". Whereas the State and Condition which Jefus chofe, effectually prevented fuch infinuations as these. His followers could not be allured by the

*See Dr. Leland on this fubject, Serm. iv.

hopes

hopes of temporal gain, or incited by worldly policy, when they faw him their Leader-poor, persecuted, and unaspiring: when they heard him inculcate felf-abafement, and humility of fpirit; when they heard him forewarn them of the afflictions they must endure for his fake and the Gofpel's,—of the hatred, the trials and persecutions they muft encounter, if they became his difciples.-No :-nothing but a Conviction, a full Conviction, that He was the Christ, the Meffiah, the Son of God, -He that was to redeem Ifrael, could have ever induced them to take up their Cross and follow him.

As I purpofe, by the Grace of God, to consider this Subject more particularly hereafter, I fhall conclude for the present with this practical Inference :

If the Difciples were fully convinced of the Divine character and pretenfions of Jefus, ought not the fame Conviction,-the fame Belief to occupy our minds? They, at the time, beheld the Scheme of Redemption incomplete:We behold it in all its circumftances, in its Beginning,--its Process, and its final fuc. We contemplate Chrift N 3 crucified,

crucified,-Chrift rifen from the dead, and, with the eye of Faith, behold him fitting at the right hand of God.-Wherefore, my Christian hearers ! what manner of perfons ought we to be?Unless we believe the Scriptures in part, we cannot be "flow of heart to believe all that the prophets have told us; that it was neceffary that Chrift fhould fuffer, and that he should thus humble himself in order to his Suffering, and afterwards enter into his glory.' This Glory he himself tells us he had with the Father before the world was.' If we would share it with him, if, where he is, we would be alfo, we must "follow his fteps." As he fo loved us as to die for us, we muft love one another :" we must

22

bear one another's burdens," and "feel for thofe in bonds as bound with them :" we muft vifit the fatherlefs and widows in their afflictions, and keep ourselves unfpotted from the world." As he fo humbled himself for our fakes, as to "take upon him the form of a Servant," fo ought we to demean ourselvcs in order to ferve, to comfort, TO BLESS ONE ANO

THER

In this truly Chriftian Duty, 'therefore, -the Duty of Kindness, Charity, and Condefcenfion, let us endeavour to be perfect, as He our Divine Pattern and Redeemer was perfect. Let us not altogether "mind high things; but," whenever the calls of Compaffion require it, "condefcend to men of low eftate."-In a word, "let the fame mind be in us, which was alfo in Christ Jefus."

PRAYE R.

ALMIGHTY and everlafting God, whofe blessed Son, Jefus Chrift, took upon him our nature, to be unto us an Example of godly life, and to fuffer death upon the Crofs,-grant that we may daily endeavour to follow the bleffed fteps of his moft holy life, and finally through his Merits and Death be made partakers of his glorious Refurrection, for the fake of the fame Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

SERMON XII.*

ON THE SAME SUBJECT.

PHILIPPIANS ii. 5, 6, 7, 8.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Chrift Fefus: who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himSelf, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Crofs.

IN

N the preceding difcourfe we have confidered what our Saviour was, both in his divine and human nature.

*The Author acknowledges his obligations to Dr. Leland in this discourse for many useful hints,indeed for confiderable portions of his language. See his 4th Sermon.

What