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THE ORIGINALITY OF CHRIST'S CHARACTER.

That is, the improbability of any one, whether enthusiast or impostor, fancying or pretending himself to be such a person as Christ professed himself to be.

The Jews understood their prophecies of a temporal prince, and therefore whoever set himself up as the object of these prophecies would most naturally fall upon the sense in which they were generally understood; and this was the fact, for the false Christs, or pretended Messiahs, of which there have appeared so many, did assume that character.

Had he taken upon him the character merely of a prophet, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, &c. it would not have been unnatural, and he had examples before him.

Had he trod in the steps of the old philosophers, the rabbis or teachers of wisdom among the Jews, one would not have wondered.

But here he produces himself as a being of a different and superior nature to the rest of the species, as immediately and peculiarly connected with God himself, 'as invested with the government of the world, as the person who is to raise us up at the last day, and the appointed judge of all mankind, a character which there was no precedent to suggest, no example to hint, nothing to make him imagine it; besides it never would have entered into the head of a Jew either to decry the ceremonial institution of Moses, or be for setting mankind on a level with themselves, as there was not a man of them who did not stickle for the distinction and superiority of their nation.

It was about as unlikely as that a Chinese mandarin should imagine himself inspired by the Holy Ghost, or a native of Otaheite that he was possessed by the devil.

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Christ's refusing to be made a king, John vi. 15. or to interfere in their civil concerns, Luke xii. 13, 14. forbidding his disciples to make a profit of their miracles, Matt. x. 8. Peter and John accordingly refusing money with the utmost indignation, Acts viii. 20. Christ's authorizing thorizing them on only to require a subsistence from their converts, Luke x. 3-7! Some of them declining even this, 2 Cor. xii. 14.1 Thess. ii. 9. 2 Cor. xvii. 18.; but especially, Acts xx. 33, 34. their invectives against those who made a gain of their converts, 2 Pet. ii. 3. The apostles declining the receipt and management of their public funds and collections, Acts vi. 2, 3.

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Instances of their humility and freedom from vanity." Peter and John disowning any power in themselves to work miracles, Acts iii. 12. Paul and Barnabas repelling the adoration of the Lycaonians, Acts xiv. 14. "'Paul's' account of himself and apostles, 1 Cor. iii. 4, 5, 6. Needless difficulties, Matt. xxiii. 39.

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Not beyond what might be discovered by reason, nor possibly could be, because all morality being founded in relations and consequences, which we experience and are acquainted with, must depend upon reasons intelligible to our understanding, and discoverable by us.

N. B. The case is different in points of faith, especially what relates to distant orders of beings.

Nor perhaps, except in a few instances, beyond what may be collected from the scattered precepts of different philosophers.

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To put together all the wise and good precepts of all the different philosophers, to separate and lay aside all the error, immorality and superstition that is mixed with them, would have been a great work; but that a single person without any assistance from those philosophers, or any human learning whatever, in direct opposition also to the established practice and maxims of his own country, should hit off a system so unblamable on the one hand, and so perfect on the other, is extraordinary beyond belief, and yet must be believed by those who hold Christ to have been an impostor or enthusiast.

I. The forgiveness of injuries and enemies,-absolutely original.

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Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy; but I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matt. v. 43-45d

"If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you." Matt. vi. 14, 15.

"Then came Peter unto him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother in 20 sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven; therefo therefore (i.

i. e. in this respect) is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king which would take account of his serOd 1970 2002891 noqu bisqep Jailm Des vants; and when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owned him ten thousand talents; but, for as much as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children and all that he had, and

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payment to be made: the servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, pay me that thou owest; and his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all; and he would not, but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him; so likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." Matt. xviii. 15-21, ad fin.

"And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any; that your Father also, which is in heaven, may forgive you your trespasses." Mark xi. 25, 26.

"Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest, for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." Luke vi. 27–35.

"And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left: then said Jesus, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Luke xxiii. 33, 34.

II. The universality of benevolence without distinction of country or religion.

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They went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans

to make ready for him, and they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem; and when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou, that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned and rebuked them, and said, ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." Luke ix. 51–56.

"The Jewish lawyer, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, and who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed leaving him half dead; and by chance there came down a certain priest that way, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side; and likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side; but a certain Samaritan, as, he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own. beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him; and on the morrow, when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said, take care of him, and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee: which now, of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour to him that fell among the thieves? And he said, he that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, go and do thou likewise." Luke x. 29-37. xvii. 3, 4.

III. The inferiority and subordination of the ceremonial to the moral law.

"Leave thy gift before the altar; and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." Matt. v. 23.

If ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless." Matt. xii. 7-12.

"And behold there was a man which had his hand

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