96 rALLINR SHORT Or HEAVER. comely for a wise and good man, and they became our Saviour well. Blessed Saviour ! that ever thy love should lay itself out on such objects, as would awaken thy grief, and give thee o painful acompassion !' But this was only in the days of hisflesh : He pities mankind now under their various wretchedness and folly, yet we cannot suppose his present exaltation andblessed= ness does indulge real sorrow, or admit any smarting afflic- tion ; though in his humble state on earth, his human love expressed itself agreeably in such mournful compassion and tenderness. II. We come toconsider, what therewas in this person that might attract our Saviour's love. 1. I-Ie had probably some natural qualifications which were agreeable and pleasing. His youth is expressed ; Mat. xix. 241; A young man, in the prime of his days, in theforce and flower ofhis age, the beauty and vigour of his nature : And it isvery likely, that he might be of a coinely figure and ingenuous coun- tenance ; for it is said, our Saviour beholdinghim, loved him. He fixed his eyes, and probably saw something in him delightful in his veryaspect and appearance, which might partly induce him to those various expressions of love before-mentioned, and to pity so lovely a youth, who was enslaved to riches, and bound todestruction in fetters ofgold. 2. Hehad a courteous and obliging carriage, which appears in several instances ; viz. he kneeledbefore our Lord, andpaid himgreat respect with the gesture of his body ; he saluted him, good Al aster ! which our Lord did not reprove, when he said, there is none goodbut God ; but put him to the trial, whether he wouldown him to be God or no. He acknowledged Christ as his superior, though he was so much a stranger to him, and so much a poorer man than himself. By his whole deportment we find hima person ofgreat civility ; he knew how to pay the ho- nours of his country well, to give titles to whom titles are due, and to do these thingsgracefully. A courteous, humble, andde- cent behaviour, without affectation or flattery, is so far from being reprovedby Christ, that not only, in this place, our Lord seems tobe pleased with it, but in many places of the New Testament, it is recommended tomake christianity amiable : It ispleasing to humannature, andcannot but gain love and esteem with all wise andvirtuous persons. 3. Hewas religiously educatedeven from his childhood, and had grown up in sobriety, perhaps, fromhis very cradle ; for he was but a young man whenhe came to our Lord, and yethe says, concerning the commandments of moral duty, I have kept them all from my youth. He sprung surely from good parents ; he had such instructions from them, and they such a jealousand
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=