than it purifies the heart and renews the life. Whatever we find, to be the mind and will of God, that we must do without hesitation, and without reserve. As the reasonings of men are to be disregarded when opposed to the declarations of God, so are the maxims of men to be set at nought, when by adopting them we should violate a divine command. One single word, confirmed with Thus saith the Lord, should operate more powerfully to the regulating of our faith and practice, than the sentiments and customs of the whole world combined.]
The description which our Lord has given us of his own character, shews what abundant provision is made for, IL Our encouragement —
Our Lord's words are not to be understood as an exhortation to learn meekness and lowliness from his example, but as a reason why we should cheerfully submit ourselves to his teaching. Li this view they are very encouraging : they imply, that,
1. He will condescend to our ignorance—
[Those who are proficients in deep knowledge, cannot bear the drudgery of teaching children the first rudiments of lan- guage. But Jesus, who is able to instruct the highest arch- angel, is yet willing to take, as it were, under his tuition the most ignorant of mankind. As in the days of his flesh, " he spake the word to men as they were able to bear it," so now will he give us " line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little ''." When his own disciples forbad people to bring their children to him, under the idea that his time ought not to be occupied with persons so incapable of benefiting by his instructions, he rebuked them, and desired that all, of whatever age or description, might have the freest access to him^; being as willing to adapt himself to the capa- city of a child as to the more enlarged understandings of the Scribes and Pharisees.]
2. He will bear with our dulness —
[Human teachers are but too apt to feel irritation from the stupidity of their disciples. But Jesus, who has infinitely more to bear with than we can have, is ever patient, and ready to renew yet again and again the lessons that he has given us a thousand times. Scarcely any person can be conceived more dull of understanding than his own disciples, who, after he had been teaching them for nearly four years, were yet ignorant of the necessity of his death, of the ends of his resurrection, and
c Isai. xxviii. 10. ^ Mark x. 13, 14.