not to Thare the pride and glories of life, or gratify the carnal expectation of ambitious followers; which, had The affected external pomp, he might have accomplished, by engroffing, as The could have done by a word, all the fiches of the world; and by the fplendour of his court, and dignity of his perfon, had been greater than Solomon in all his glory, and have at tracted the applaufe and admiration of the world: this every difciple knew was in his power;-fo that the meanness of his birth, the toils and. poverty of his life, the low offices in which he was engaged, by preaching the gospel to the poor the numberlefs dangers and inconveniencies attending the execution, were all vo

luntary. This humble choice both of friends and family out noout of the meanest of the people, amongst whom he appeared rather as a fervant than a master, coming not, as he often told them, to be miniftered unto, but to minifter, and as the prophet had foretold in that mournful defcription of him, having no form nor comelinefs, nor any beauty that we fhould defire him.

How could a difciple, you'll fay, reflect without benefit on this amiable character," with all the other

tender pathetic proofs of humility, which his memory would fuggeft had

Updi 101 Mod

happened of a piece with it, in the vlwol courfe of his mafter's life ;-but parbool 2. v nobel s dopį aɔde. ticularly at the conclufion and great

catastrophe of it,—at his crucifixion ; the impreffions of which could never be forgotten.-When a life full of fo many engaging inftances of humility, was crowned with the most endearing one of humbling himself to the death of the cross,-the death of a flave and a malefactor,-fuffering himself to be led like a lamb to the flaughter, dragged to Calvary without oppofition or complaint, and as a sheep before his fhearer is dumb, opening not his mouth.

O bleffed Jefus! well might a difciple of thine learn of thee to be meek and lowly of heart, as thou exhortedst them all, for thou wat meek and Lowly :-well might they profit, when fuch a leffon was feconded by

fuch an example !It is not to be doubted what force this must have had on, the actions of those who were attendants and conftant followers of our Saviour onearth;-faw the meek. ness of his temper in the occurrences, of his life, and the amazing proof of it at his death, who, though he was able to call down legions of angels tob his refcue, or by a fingle act of omnipotence to have deftroyed his ene mies; yet fuppreffed his almighty power, neither resented—or revenged the indignity done him, but pa

tiently fuffered himself to be num-s

bered with the tranfgreffors

It could not well be otherwife, but that every eye-witnefs of this muft have been wrought upon, in

fome degree, as the apoftle, to let the fame mind: be in him which alfo was in Chrift Jefus. Nor wilb it be difputed how much of the honour of St. Peter's behaviour in the prefent tranfaction might be owing to the impreffions he received, on that memorable occafion of his Lord's death, finking still deeper, from the affecting remembrance of the many! inftances his master had given of this engaging virtue in the courfe of his life..

St. Peter certainly was of a warm, and fenfible nature, as we may collect from the facred writings,-a: temper fitteft to receive all the advantages which fuch impreffions could. give and therefore, as it is a day