followed by the whole nation. But he neither pos- sessed himself, nor promised to his followers, any of those things which are so captivating to a carnal heart. Instead of abounding in wealth, and having the great and nobles of the earth as his attendants, he was followed only by a few poor fishermen, and sometimes wanted the common necessaries of life, and even a place where to lay his head. Instead of affecting honour, he declined it, and withdrew him- self, when they would have invested him with royal authority. Nor did he give his disciples reason to expect any thing in this world but reproaches, perse- cutions, imprisonments, and death. Thus was he destitute of all external recommendations ; " there was no form nor comeliness in him, nor any beauty for which he was to be desired." Now the Jews did not know how to reconcile his claims to Messiahship with his low condition : they could not divest them- selves of their prejudices : they expected a temporal Messiah, and consequently concluded, that the mean- ness of his appearance was a very sufficient reason for considering him as an impostor. They therefore contributed to make him still more contemptible in the eyes of men, and thus, by reducing him to the lowest state of infamy, unwittingly fulfilled the coun- sels of God concerning him.
A third mark and character of the Messiah was, that he should be afflicted in his person; he was to be " a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." To none were these words ever so applicable as to Jesus Christ. His whole life was a continued scene of labours, trials, temptations, sorrows. We read only once in the whole Scriptures, that he rejoiced in spirit ; but frequently that he sighed, and groaned, and wept. The four last years of his life were almost wholly spent in sorrow. Not to mention his bodily labours and fatigues, or his watchings and fastings (though inasmuch as they exceeded all that ever were voluntarily endured by man, they might well be taken into the account) his other trials were greater than we can conceive. " The contradiction of sinners