people, the pomp, wealth, and power, of this lower world. To them, as the People of the Saints of the Most High, was, in a literal sense, to be given the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven. To a people, conquered as they were, impatient of their yoke, panting for liberty and independence, proud of their pre-eminence as the chosen people of God, gross in their conceptions of divine truth, and confining, with an animal relish, all real good to the gratifications of sense; it can scarcely seem strange, that this should appear a rational interpretation of the prophecies concerning the Redeemer; particularly of some, which are couched in terms highly figurative. From such a people, in such a state, we could hardly expect just apprehensions concerning those sublimer glories of the MESSIAH, which lay in excellence of mind, and excellence of life; obtained the unmingled complacency of the Father; and called forth the admiration, love, and homage, of all the virtuous among mankind. Still, even the expectations of the Jews accord with the general truth, that he, who sustains such an office, must also possess a character suited to that office.

The necessity of this character to give distinction to CHRIST as the High Priest of mankind, appears in a striking manner from several considerations. Particularly, it was indispensable to the accomplishment of the end of his priesthood; and, therefore, of his whole Mediatorial office, that he should engage, to a great extent, the attention of mankind. On this, in a great measure, depended the importance and success of his public ministry, both among his cotemporaries, and among men of all succeeding ages. Had he not been an object of public curiosity, and inquiry, in his own time; his instructions, if uttered at all, must have been uttered to the rocks and the winds; and his character, unregarded in that age, would have been forgotten in the next. Or, if we suppose a record to have been made of his instructions, they would have been the instructions of an individual, obscure, not only on account of his parentage, and the humble circumstances of his life, but on account of every thing else. Whatever they were; however wise, pure, and unexceptionable, they would have failed to arrest the attention, and command the regard, of future times, be cause they were not enforced by a distinguished character in their

author. For extraordinary sentiments the mind instinctively looks to an extraordinary man. If Christ had not been separated from the rest of the children of Adam by singular characteristics, it would have been boldly questioned whether these instructions ever came from him; and the record, which asserted them to be his, could scarcely have been furnished with such proofs of authen ticity, as to place the question beyond rational doubt. If this point had been admitted; new and equally perplexing inquiries would have arisen concerning the authority of the teacher; concerning the strangeness of the fact, that God had destined such a man to the office of giving such precepts to the world; and concerning the irreconcileableness of so insignificant an appearance with a character, distinguished by such wonderful wisdom. Strong objections are even now made by Infidels to the humble character, in which CHRIST appeared. What would they not have objected, if he had been marked by nothing extraordinary? These observations respect CHRIST in all his offices. Had he not possessed this distinction in some clear, acknowledged manner, and in a degree unquestioned, he would never, in any sense, have become the object of any peculiar regard; and would, of course, have failed of the end of his mission. The arguments, already alleged, are, therefore, applicable to every part of his character as Mediator. But they are, in some respects, peculiarly applicable to his Priesthood. A great part of the truths, which he taught, respected himself, as the High Priest of the huThese were truths, indispensable to the salvation of mankind. The Atonement, made by him in this office for the sins of men, is the only foundation, even for the hope of eternal life. The belief of men in this great fact is the basis of all our confidence in CHRIST as our SAVIOUR; and this confidence is the only mean of our justification. But in this fact few men, to say the most, can be supposed to have believed, had not CHRIST been distinguished from other persons by peculiar and very honourable characteristics. There is something so repugnant to ali our most rational and satisfactory thoughts, in the supposition, that a person, ranking in all things with such beings as we are, should sustain this glorious office, and accomplish this marvellous

man race.

end; that it can hardly be imagined to have gained admission into the mind of any sober man.

Should it be answered, that a distinction of some kind or other, in the degree specified, was indeed, necessary to the character of CHRIST, in order to render him the object of the confidence, or even the attention, of mankind; but that this distinction was sufficiently established by his power of working miracles, so often, and so illustriously, exemplified while he was in the world: I answer, that this power distinguished CHRIST from other inhabitants of the earth very honourably, but could not distinguish him sufficiently for the purpose in view. For, to say nothing of the fact, that in this respect he was not sufficiently unlike Moses and Elijah, who also wrought many and great miracles, or his Apostles, who did greater works than his own; to say nothing of the contrariety to all rational thinking, in the supposition, that a man, invested with no other proofs of an extraordinary character, should work such stupendous miracles, or any miracles at all: It is perfectly evident, that he could never be the object of any moral regard, unless in his moral character he had appeared sufficiently important to claim it; much less of that supreme moral regard, Evangelical Faith. In the exercise of this Faith, the Soul surrenders itself absolutely into the hands of CHRIST. But such a surrender cannot be made, unless to a being of such consequence, as to make the act rational, and warrantable, in the view of the understanding. But the understanding can never be persuaded, that a person, undistinguished by pre-eminent holiness, however superior might be his natural, or supernatural, endowments, could be regarded by God as an acceptable propitiation for its sins. Nor could it by any means, of which I am able to conceive, feel itself warranted to exercise this confidence toward any being, unpossessed of that consummate rectitude, particularly of that sincerity and good-will, upon which it is ultitimately founded. If CHRIST had not, in this respect, been superior to other men, the faith placed in him would, I think, have been the same with that, which is placed in other men; and have differed from that, neither in kind, nor degree.

Holiness is the supreme distinction of moral beings, and the supreme object of moral regard. Especially, in all cases, where

the approbation and acceptance of God, or the confidence of intelligent creatures, are concerned; is this the object, on which our thoughts ultimately rest, in comparison with which all others are of little importance.

II. To enable him to magnify the Law of God, and make it honourable.

CHRIST performed this important office, an office predicted by the Prophet Isaiah, and also by himself, many ages before his incarnation, in a manner absolutely perfect. The following particulars will, if I mistake not, illustrate this subject with advantage.

1st. Christ in his own obedience showed, that the Law was capable of being perfectly obeyed by mankind.

By this I mean, that beings, possessing exactly such natural powers, as we possess, are, if properly disposed, proved, by the obedience of CHRIST, to be capable of perfectly obeying the law of God.

There is no reason to believe, that CHRIST possessed any other natural powers, than those, which are possessed by mankind generally. The difference between him, and them, lay, radically, in the disposition: His being that of a dutiful child; and theirs being froward and rebellious. With these powers Christ perfectly obeyed the law of God; and thus proved, that it might be perfectly obeyed by any other person, possessing the same powers. No difference of intellect can be pleaded here; because, CHRIST thus obeyed in every stage of his life; with the intelligence of an infant; of a child; of a youth; and of a man. The least degree of intelligence which he possessed, after he became a moral agent, is, therefore, sufficient to enable any other moral agent thus to obey. The difficulty of obeying, experienced by us, does not, therefore, lie in the want of understanding. The importance of this article will be easily realized, if we call to mind how prone we are to justify ourselves in sin, and to feel secure from the danger of punishment, from the consideration, that we have not, naturally, sufficient power to obey; and, if at the same time, we remember, that, even to the present day, not only ordinary men and plain Christians, but even philosophers and divines, hold this doctrine, and insist on it as a part of

their customary instruction. The proof, here furnished, that the doctrine is wholly erroneous, is complete: for it can never be said, that the mind of CHRIST, at its entrance upon moral agency, possessed more intelligence, and more natural ability to obey, than that of a mature man. Christ obeyed throughout his infancy, and childhood. Bacon, Newton, and Locke, were sinful beings. The reason, why they were sinful beings, was not a defect of intelligence. The difference between them as moral beings, and CHRIST, while an infant, or a child, was a moral difference; involved moral turpitude on their part; and rendered them deserving of blame and punishment.

In this manner CHRIST proved the practicability of obedience, and the reasonableness of the law. If HE, with the same natural powers, which we possess, could obey the law; obedience is naturally, and certainly, practicable to us. If CHRIST obeyed, while an infant, or a little child; the requisitions of the law cannot be unreasonable. The importance of his glorifying the law, in this respect, needs no illustration.

2dly. CHRIST, in obeying, furnished mankind an extensive, and most useful, comment on the law of God.

A moment's recollection will show us, if we need to be shown, that the nature of all precepts is more perfectly seen in those actions, which are conformed to them, than it can be in the abstract contemplation of the precepts themselves. The life of CHRIST was divine law; and was,

exactly conformed to the precepts of the therefore, a more perfect exhibition of their true nature, than any other, of which they were capable. It was, particularly, a perfect exhibition of the nature, and extent, of every requirement, so far as it was applicable to him. In seeing what he did, we learn, exactly, what we are required to do; more exactly, than we could possibly learn from the precept itself.

It exhibited, also, the beauty and excellency of obedience. This is discerned very imperfectly in the mere contemplation of the precept, by which it is required. That application of the precept, through which alone its proper influence can be discerned by mere contemplation, is made so imperfectly, and seen so obscurely, by the mind, that the proper efficacy of the precept cannot, in this way, be ever realized. In example, in actions, on the