washed his feet, were intended to exprefs her gratitude for the pardon of her fins, and to fignify her follicitude for the continuance of this mercy; She loved much,' fays Chrift, ⚫ because much had been forgiven her.' Thus the woman had confidered Jefus in his genuine and proper character, and was anxious to fecure thofe immortal bleffings, which he had come from heaven to bestow.--Hence it may appear, that here, as well as in his conduct toward Martha, he acted wholly in the spirit of his facred office, and by the influence of that heavenly wisdom and benignity, which directed him in every other action of his life. It was from the influence of the fame heavenly wisdom, and abstraction from the world, that he declined to interpofe in the political debates which at that time prevailed among the Jews. When the Pharifees, with the Herodians, from an intention to entangle him, asked his opinion about the right of the Roman Emperor to levy tribute from the Jews, he gave fuch an answer as was calculated in the best manner poffible, to promote a sense of piety to God, and a dutiful regard to the rights of men; without determining in what was merely a political debate, which had no connexion with the business of his office, as a Luke vii. 47.— Mat. xxii. 15. teacher sent from God; Render unto Caefar the things that are Caefars, and unto God the things that are Gods.'-* In like inanner, when he was required to pay the tribute money which was collected for the fervice of the temple, though he afferted his right to be exempted, yet he meekly and patiently complied with the demand, that he might not give offence; or enter into a debate, which might have obftructed the great and only purpose of his life; the inftruction and falvation of immortal fouls. To give a more compleat idea of the mind that was in Chrift, it ought to be observed, that when he acted on the influence of that benevolence and pity to the fouls of men, which was the leading principle of his life, he expreffed a fortitude and strength of mind, and at the fame time a tenderness and fenfibility, that were very fingular, and, which being equally difcovered in his conduct, fet the peculiar turn, and fpirit of his character in the ftrongeft light.-Thefe two qualities hardly meet together in the fame character, in an eminent degree. Strength of mind, and an intrepid zeal, in oppofing the corruptions of the world, have been ufually accompanied with a certain harshness and feverity, which * Mat. xvii. 24.- deftroys the more tender and humane feelings of the heart: and this appears to have been a blemish in the character of fome of the best of our reformers. On the other hand, men of delicate and tender fentiments, are, from this particular complexion, apt to fail in that determined oppofition, which they ought to give to the errors and corruptions of the world. When therefore, thefe two different qualities are united, and their different extremes are equally avoided; they form at once, the most refpectable, and amiable character. They difcover withal, that the virtue of the perfon thus difpofed, is not founded on his natural complexion, but upon a rational, and moral principle, feated in the heart. Now each of thefe, in an eminent degree, were united in the character and life of Jefus. By the acknowledgment of his oppofers, * He was true, and taught the way of God ' in truth, neither cared he for any man, for ⚫ he regarded not the perfon of men.' + This firmness and integrity remarkably appeared in the bold and open oppofition which he gaveto the most favourite fuperftitions of the po pulace, and the prevailing corruptions of those who were in the first rank of power and popularity. Hereby he provoked the univer * Mat. xxii. 16.- + Mat. xxiii. 1.— - Luke xi. 37. fal hatred of his countrymen against himself, as a dangerous innovator in religion, and one who intended to destroy their law and prophets, On this account he was condemned, and put to death; and thus fuffered as a martyr in that cause which he came from heaven to promote, Did any of the ancient philofophers in the fame brave and honeft manner, teftify against the fuperftitions and idolatries of their coun trymen? Amidst the many excellent leffons which they taught, did they not still comply with thofe abfurd idolatries, which their phi lofophy fhould have led them to renounce? The wifeft and the beft of them vindicated himself from the imputation of impiety, by appealing to the regard he had expreffed for thofe ignorant idolatries, which were opposed with fuch a generous and manly zeal by the apoftle of the Gentiles, when he preached the gospel to the Athenians †. The behaviour of Jefus in this particular, was equally prudent and couragious. He prudently and piously observed thofe public forms, which either had their authority from God, or were ferviceable to the caufe of true reli gion: whilft with the most intrepid honour 16. * See Plato and Xenophon's Apologies. † Acts xvii. and integrity, he publickly declared againft the fuperftitions by which it was corrupted and debafed. *The accounts which are given of the public and folemn manner, in which he teftified against the corruptions of the Pharifees and Scribes, who were at that time deemed the guardians of religion by the populace; how an example of integrity, fortitude, and public fpirit, which in a very distinguished manner mark the character of him who was to come into this world, as a witnefs, a leader, and commander to the people,' and of whom it had been prophefied, That he should not fail, nor be difcourag ed, till he had fet judgment in the earth.' By this public oppofition to the doctrine and example of the Pharifees and Scribes, against whom he conftantly expreffed the warmeft zeal, Jefus gave the most convincing evidence of the difinterestedness of his defigns, and that, 'He fought not his own glory, but the glory of him that fent him.” The populace in every age are fond of a religion confifting of external form. To this they are usually attached with an exceffive zeal, paying to it an attention and regard, fuperior to what they give to the most important laws *Mat. xxiii. r. + Ifaiah xlii. 4. Mark vii. 1. Luke xi. 37. |