lesson had yet to receive its most solemn sanctions and its most impressive illustration, from the full revelation of that scheme of mercy, which exhibits to us the Almighty Father, at the time when we were enemies to him, sending his Son to die for our salvation; and from the affecting example of our Saviour himself, who, in the last moments of trial and suffering, offered up a prayer for his murderers, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do: and these motives came with all their power on the great Apostle St Paul, when he founded on them that noble exhortation to his Ephesian converts: "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you'."

3. Again, when in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, our Lord directs his severest censure against that proud and self-righteous spirit, which is constantly dwelling upon its own merits and deservings in the sight of God; and pronounces the especial blessings of heaven on that meek and humble frame of mind, which, in a deep sense of its own unworthiness in the sight of Him who is "of purer eyes than to behold iniquity," approaches the throne of mercy with the affecting prayer, God be merciful to me a sinner, he not only takes for granted the existence of that sinfulness and imperfection which

1 Ephes. iv. 31, 32.

makes a Redeemer so necessary to us; but he describes the state of mind, the humility and entire renunciation of ourselves, which can alone fit us, either to seek for or to embrace the offers of pardon and forgiveness, which our heavenly Father has made, for the sake of our Redeemer, to every returning sinner, to every contrite and penitent offender.

4. Again, what an inexpressible beauty and interest is thrown around many of our Saviour's discourses, and his conduct on different occasions, by viewing them with reference to his character as the Redeemer of men! For instance, the whole of that interesting scene which is related in the eighteenth chapter of St Matthew's Gospel : when, upon the disciples coming to Jesus, and saying, Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven, he called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me. But whoso shall OFFEND one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea! Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the

F

And if thine cast it from

offence cometh. Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. eye offend thee, pluck it out and thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep than of the ninety and nine which went not astray, Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish1! Now how striking and affecting is the whole of this passage, when it is regarded in connection with Him who spoke it, and with reference to what he did and suffered for the salvation of man! When we read such sentiments as these, Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso

1 Matth. xviii. 1—14.

shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. For it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish,—where were such doctrines ever heard before? and where could they have been heard, till they derived at once their origin and their illustration from Him, 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 servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross; and thus, at the same time that he afforded an example of humility, such as no other person but the Son of God could have afforded, gave a proof, such as no other person could have given, of the infinite value of every soul!

These are some of the most prominent illustrations, which are afforded by the discourses of our Saviour to the subject of this chapter. Indeed, if we examine the Christian character in all its bearings, as it is developed in the discourses of our Saviour, we shall find, that,-in describing both its complexion and its principles, as well the motives by which Christians must be actuated in their endeavours to attain to the perfection of this character,-he appears to have had

2 Phil. ii. 6-8.

constantly in view all that he had done, and was to do and suffer, for mankind; and that, in point of fact, his discourses derive their best and most powerful illustration from these considerations. The Christian character, as it is delineated by our Saviour, is perfectly original; it has no prototype but in himself. His injunctions about humility and charity, striking and beautiful as they are, would never have impressed us so forcibly, unless they had been recommended by his own example, and derived their most affecting and valuable illustration from his own most precious death and it is impossible, as we read his discourses, in which he delivers to us the most sublime lessons of piety, humility, and charity, to separate them from the idea of Him, in whom these graces shone with their brightest lustre, and in whom alone they have been displayed in all their great and glorious perfections. In HIM, -the everlasting Son of the everlasting Father, "the visible image of the invisible God,”—we behold the attributes and perfections of God himself embodied in the nature and likeness of man. If indeed we want an illustration of the Christian character in the greatest perfection of which it is capable in man, fallen as he is from original holiness, we behold it in the life and character of St Paul: and when we consider the sublime elevation, to which the steady contemplation of the Redeemer, assisted by the powerful influence of divine grace, was able to raise the great Apostle, it is impossible to doubt the