394 CHRISTIAN MORALITY. tian beholds him such as he revealedhimself to Moses, when he caused his glory to pass before him; Ex. xxxiv. 6. The Lord, the Lord God; mercifuland gracious, long-sofering, and abundant in goodness and truth, &c. The Son of God stooping down to take flesh and blood upon him, made the most Amiable figure in the universe. Even in his glorious and triumphant state inhea- ven, he is represented by a lamb that was slain, an emblem of meekness and innocence. And if ever the blessed Spirit ap- peared in the shape of any living creature, it was in the form of a dove, a lovely and gentle animal. Thus the blessed Trinity 'conspire to teach us this amiableand divine carriage. II. The Son of God incarnate has brought a lovely pat- tern of this practicenearer to us in his whole deportment on earth. I cannot part with the.most graceful example of our Lord Jesus Christ with a slight notice. Hecame into this world partlywith a design to become our pattern in every virtue, and in every grace. Let us turn our eyes towards him in all the circumstan- ces and behaviours of life, and he will ever appear, as he is in himself, thechiefestof ten thousands, and altogether lovely. Let us take a survey of him under those several particulars, in which anamiablecarriage häs been described. Is prudence a lovely virtue ? How perfectly wise was the conduct of our Lord ! How carefully did he attend to the cir- cumstances of time and place, while he dwelt among mankind ! How happily did he suit his conversation to his company ! How wisely did he derive his divine discourses from the daily occur- rences of life ! How admirably did he distribute his benefits ac- cording to the various necessities of men! So that the unpreju- diced world pronounced concerning him, He has doneall things well. Shall we he rash and foolish, fickle and imprudent, and live. at random in our words and our 'works, when we have so divine apattern of prudence before us in the history of the gos- pel ? Is moderation another lovely character, and a peace-maker an amiable title ? Such was our blessed Lord, and such should hisfollowers be. How glorious a sight is it tobehold the Son of God coming down from heaven to be a mediator betwixt his of- fended Father and his offending creatures ! to reconcile heaven and earth together, and rather than fail in this attempt, he gladly exposed himself to shame and death, and made a cement of everlasting friendship betwixt God and man with his own blood. Shall we, who are reconciled by suchamazing transactions, quar- rel with each other for trifles, and form ourselves into parties for rage, andstrife, and hatred, andyet profess the name of thegreat reconciler! Are we not commanded tofollowpeace with oilmen, as far as possible, with the security of our holiness and peacewith
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