than when he had the profpect of fuffering a painful and lingering death immediately before him; and fo far was he, in those circumftances, from acknowledging any imposture, that his views were then more than ever fixed upon his purpose, and he bore the near approach of the trying fcene, in all its ftages, with the greatest compofure and magnanimity, hardly ever expreffing any concern for himself, but only for his difciples and for his country.

When, for the last time, he came in view of Jerufalem, which he knew to be destined for the scene of his sufferings, and that within a few days; and therefore when it might have been imagined, and without any reflection upon him, that his thoughts would be chiefly occupied about himself, "he beheld the city," (Luke xix. 41.) and even "wept over it, faying, Oh that thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days fhall come upon thee, that thine enemies fhall caft a trench about thee, and compafs thee round, and keep thee in on

every

every fide, and fhall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee one ftone upon another; because thou kneweft not the time of thy visitation."

any,

Arriving immediately after this at Bethwhere he was entertained at the house of Lazarus and his fifters, when Mary, who was one of them, anointed his head with a box of valuable ointment, the expence of which gave offence to Judas, Jefus mildly faid, (John xii. 7.) " Let her alone, against the day of my embalming has fhe kept this;" thus giving an easy and pleasant turn to the incident, by way of excuse for her feeming extravagance. It fhewed, however, that his death was upon his mind, but that he was not dismayed at it. That it was much upou his mind at this time, appears alfo from feveral other circumftances. When he was afked by the Jews by what authority he had cleared the temple, he faid (John ii. 20.) "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raife it up;" alluding, as the evangelift fays, though he was not fo understood at the time, to his own death and refurrection. When,

H 4

When, presently after this, fome Greeks, who had expreffed a curiosity to see him, were introduced to him, as he was in the temple, he was led by the circumstance to reflect upon the fpread of his religion, and of his death, as the neceffary means of it, and said (John xii. 24.) "The hour is come, that the Son of man fhould be glorified. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone; but if it die it bringeth. forth much fruit." After the voice from heaven, which was uttered in the courfe of this conversation, he said, verse

is the judgment of this world.

31. "Now

Now fhall the prince of this world be caft out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

gelift fays," he faid,

This," the evan

fignifying what

death he should die." In the fame converfation he afferts what no impoftor would have done, the obligation of all his followers to facrifice their lives as he fhould do his. "He that loveth his life fhall lofe it, and he that hateth his life in this world, fhall keep it unto life eternal. If any man ferve

me,

me, let him follow me, and where I am, there fhall alfo my fervant be."

That Jefus had the feelings of other men, and therefore naturally dreaded pain and death, cannot be doubted. He difcovered it in the course of this very converfation, faying, verfe 27. "Now is my foul troubled, and what fhall I fay? Father, fave me from this hour. But for this caufe came I unto this hour." Though it occurred to him as a natural wish to be excufed the pain of a lingering and ignominious death, it did not remain with him till the clofe of the fentence, but was immediately recalled. The same apprehenfion occurred during his agony in the garden, when he prayed, (Matt. xxvi. 39.)" O my Father, if it be poffible, let this cup pafs from me. But he inftantly replied, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." This was true heroifm, and not a stupid or affected infenfibility to pain.

in

The strong sense of piety that appears Jefus on thefe and other occafions, is a proof of great magnanimity, and that of the juftest kind, and is wholly inconfiftent with his being an impoftor. What confidence could

an

an impoftor have had in the favour of God, on the approach of death? But Jefus fhewed it in the moft unequivocal manner in those circumstances. Immediately after what has been juft recited, of the converfation in the hearing of the Grecks in the Father, temple, he said, (John xii. 28.) glorify thy name," confident, no doubt, of a favourable anfwer, which was accordingly returned in an audible voice from heaven, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."

66

In his folemn prayer, pronounced in the hearing of his difciples, he began with faying, (John xvii. 2.) Father, glorify thy fon, that thy fon may alfo glorify thee. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do; and now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own felf, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." He then prayed most affectionately for his difciples. The piety of Jesus appeared in a very confpicuous light as he hung on the crofs; the last expreffion that he uttered being, (Luke xxiii. 46.) "Father, into thy hands I commit my fpirit;" which

fhews