with his, yet it has seen many, greatly similar.  Contemplative, and melancholy, it is said of him by his followers, “he was often seen to weep, but never to laugh.”  He retired to solitary places, and there prayed:  he went into the wilderness to sustain and to vanquish the assaults of the devil:  In a word, he appears by such means to have persuaded himself, as hundreds have done since, that he was the chosen servant of God, raised up to preach righteousness to the hypocrites, and sinners of his day.  It is remarkable, that he never claimed to be the Messiah, till encouraged to assume that character by Peter’s declaration.  And it is observable, that in assuming that name, he could not assume the characteristics of the august personage to whom it belongs; but infused into the character all that softness, meekness, humility, and passive fortitude, which were so eminently his own.  The natural disposition, and character of Jesus, could not permit him to attempt the character of a princely Messiah, a mighty monarch, the saviour of an oppressed people, and the benefactor of the human race.  He could not do this, but he could act as much of the character as was consistent with his own.  He could not indeed bring himself to attempt to be the saviour of his countrymen from the Romans, their fleshly foes; but he undertook to save them from the tyranny of their spiritual enemies.  He could not undertake to set up his kingdom upon earth; but he told them that he had a kingdom in another world.  He could not pretend to give unto his followers the splendid rewards of an earthly monarch:  but he promised them instead thereof, forgiveness of sins, and spiritual remuneration.

In a word, he was not a king fit for the, then, ‘carnal Jews,’ but he was, from his mildness, and compassionate temper, worthy of their esteem, at least, of their forbearance.  The only actions of his life which betray any marks of character deserving of serious reprehension, are his treatment of the woman taken in adultery; and his application of the prophecy of Malachi concerning Elias, to John the Baptist.

As to his conduct to the woman, it was the conduct of a mild, and merciful man, but not that of one who declared, “that he came to fulfil the law.”  For God commanded concerning such, “that they should surely be put to death.”  Now though Jesus was not her judge, and had no right to pronounce her sentence; yet the contrivance by which he deterred the witness from testifying against her, was a contrivence directly calculated totally to frustrate the ends of justice; and which, if acted upon at this day, in Christian countries, would infallibly prevent the execution of the criminal law:  For what testimony would be sufficient to prove a fact, if the witnesses were required to be “without sin?” Instead, therefore, of saying unto them, “whosoever of you is without sin, let him cast the first stone at her;” he should have said, ’Men! who made me a judge, or a ruler over you? carry the accused to the proper tribunal.’