1. By his instructions —
[To form a correct judgment of this subject, we should survey the state of the world before the coming of Christ. The darkness that prevailed is justly styled by the prophet, " gross darkness." The most learned philosophers could not absolutely determine whether there were a God ; or, if there were, whether there were one or many. They conceived that there were some beings superior to themselves ; and them they called gods: but the characters they assigned to them, were such as would disgrace the lowest of the human race. They felt themselves sinners ; but the methods which they devised for expiating their crimes were beyond measure absurd. They could not account for the sin and misery which they both saw and felt, nor could they prescribe any remedy for these dis- orders. " They were vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened : professing themselves to be wise, they shewed themselves to be very fools V But " the Day- spring from on high," the Lord Jesus Christ, " has visited us, to give light to them that sat in darkness and the shadow of death0." He has declared to us fully the nature and perfections of God, the means of reconciliation with him, the duties we owe to him and to each other, and whatever else can con- duce to the regulating of our lives or the furthering of our happiness.]
2. By his example —
[Had precepts alone been given us, we should have been ready to construe them in such a way, as would best suit with our carnal prejudices and sensual inclinations. But by exhi- biting in his own life a perfect pattern of holiness, he has cut off all occasion for doubt respecting the nature or extent of our duty. We need only to walk as he walked, and we cannot err. Do we desire to ascertain what that service is, which we owe to God? we see in him, that we should have the whole law of God written in our hearts; and that it should be " our meat and our drink to do his will." Do we wish to know how we should conduct ourselves towards our fellow-creatures ? We have an unerring rule set before us, in his unruffled meekness, his inexhausted patience, his unbounded love : in laying down his life for his enemies, he has shewn us what we are to do, at least for the brethren, if not also even for our bitterest perse- cutors. In short, we can be in no situation whatever, wherein his example will not serve as a light to our feet and a lantern to our paths : if it do not shew us the precise act we are to perform, it will shew us infallibly the spirit we are to exercise.]
3. By his influence —
b Rom. i. 21, 22. c Luke i. 78, 79.