conspicuously in our Divine Master, is infinitely interesting. This may prove of essential benefit. It presents us with a living model for our imitation; and the more we imitate, the greater advances shall we make in a conformity to the injunction, which cannot be completely obeyed, "Be ye perfect as your Father who is in heaven is perfect."

The other prophets and ministers of God, notwithstanding their exemplary piety, had many imperfections in their characters. They could not therefore be proposed as perfect models for imitation. This honour was reserved for the great Prophet, "who was made in all things like unto his brethren, sin only excepted" It is evidently expedient that every model should be perfect. This is peculiarly necessary in morals. If the least imperfection were intermixed, human propensities would imitate these the soonest, and retain them the longest. Had not this messenger from God been perfect in all things, a divine sanction would have been given to every defect transcribed into the copy.

He completely fulfilled the injunctions which he gave, to "love the Lord our God, with all the heart, with all the might and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves." His obedience to the Divine commands was complete; and it

was proclaimed, by a voice from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." In private life he was dutiful to his parents, affectionate to his friends. In his public character he exemplified all the moral precepts which he taught. He instructed the ignorant, relieved the wants of the indigent to the extent of his means, was compassionate to the distressed, forgiving to his enemies, contented in a state of voluntary poverty. It was as his meat and his drink to do the will of his heavenly Father. He was patient under sufferings. Notwithstanding his exalted office, and the extraordinary powers with which he was endowed, he was meek and lowly of heart. The social virtues, which are the most numerous, can only be exercised and displayed by mixing with society. This was so eminently his conduct, that haughty bigots accused him of being "a friend to publicans and sinners." He was in truth their friend, by seeking every opportunity to instruct them, with mild suavity of manners; while the immaculate purity of his character inspired them with love and veneration for his person. No one applied to him in vain; and he wept over those impending evils he was not authorized to prevent.

Men who have been the most celebrated for their virtues, have never been distinguished for a per

fect uniformity of character. The peculiarities in their dispositions, stations, or inducements, have generally given a peculiar celebrity to some of their actions, and generally thrown a veil over the many frailties and imperfections which still surrounded them. The Son of God was actuated by principles which were steadfastly and uniformly operative. He made no selection in his observance of the divine commands, but he became equally obedient in all things unto death itself, even the death of the cross. He was mild, but intrepid; he hated sin, without being irritated against the sinner. There was but one vice which he reproved with peculiar severity; the vice of hypocrisy; which is a despicable attempt to deceive both God and Man; and it springs up in a soil which cannot possibly produce a single virtue. He sought not popular applause, but he did not refuse those honours which magnified his office. When he caused his light to shine before men with peculiar lustre, it was that they might glorify his heavenly Father. He did not fly from the world in order to avoid its contagions. His devotional retirements prepared him for active life, and the good performed in active life, made his retirements delightful.

In our inquiries concerning the most influential motives to the uniform practice of every virtue, we attempted to prove that rational conceptions of the Divine nature and character contain these motives, far beyond every other source. The history of Jesus indicates that from this source he derived his aids. He spent those hours of leisure which others devote to rest or amusements, in communion with his heavenly Father; retiring to mountains and deserts for uninterrupted meditation and prayer. It was through the medium of his devotions that he derived succours from above; and he assures us that "his heavenly Father was willing to hear him in all things." It was from this source that he enjoyed those inward consolations which more than compensated for the wretchedness of his outward state; which fortified him against the numerous evils of life; and supported his mind under the incessant prospect of a painful and ignominious death. In this devout intercourse with his heavenly Father, he received the assurances of those exalted honours which awaited him, as the Saviour of the world; and he was thus animated and strengthened for the arduous conflicts he had to encounter. "For the joy that was set before him, he finally

endured the cross, and despised the shame." Of this we are informed by an inspired apostle.

The same apostle also, not only says that "he was made perfect through sufferings," but that' it" became him to become in all things like unto his brethren," and therefore he was to be "tempted like as we are, that he might be able to succour those that are tempted." It is probable that a peculiar reference is thus made to the temptations to which he was exposed in the wilderness, as recorded by the evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke. If we attend minutely to the nature of those conflicts, previous to his entering upon his public ministry, we shall learn that they were consonant with the peculiarities of his important office; and that he obtained a triumph over them, which entitled him to become the triumphant captain of our salvation.

We are told that after he had submitted to the ordinance of baptism, "he was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil; and that after he had fasted forty days and forty nights, the tempter came unto him." Adam was tried, in his official character, as the representative of the human race. He was unequal to the contest and was disgraced. Abraham was tried, was found faithful, and was rewarded with the honourof introducing the first Dispensation, replete with blessings to his posterity, and also to

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