place till the day of Pentecost; but it served as an earnest of the future blessing, and was ex-pressive of the sacred breath or spirit, intended at once to prepare them for its reception, and to show them that it would be derived from his power, and communicated from his fulness.

So too when he suffered the devils to enter into the swine and run violently down a steep place into the sea, and perish in the waters, it was to illustrate, by a visible example, the fatal rage and strength of Satan, and the final destruction of those who listen to his temptations".

The cursing of the barren fig-tree was designed to convey an important lesson in a similar manner. At the time the sentence was pronounced

No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever though our Lord did not call in any particular way the attention of his followers either to the words themselves, or to their im

• Matt. viii. 32.

port, the Evangelist expressly notices, that the disciples heard it.' The day after, as they were passing by the same place, undoubtedly owing to the secret leading of Christ, they saw the

fig-tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, calling to remembrance, saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig-tree which thou cursedst is withered away.' The purpose of the miracle was then answered, the significant action had prepared their minds for the instruction to be founded on it, and our Lord immediately added as the moral of the transaction, Have faith in God. Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, it shall be done. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, believing, ye shall receive".

If it were necessary to illustrate this part of the subject farther, the appointment of an out

7 Mark, xi. 13-22. Matt. xxi. 21, 22.

ward visible sign in baptism might be quoted as designed to be emblematic of the inward spiritual grace; or the partaking of the bread and wine in the Lord's supper, as the symbols of the actual body and blood of Christ, who is thus typically represented as bruised for our iniquities, and his blood shed for the remission of our sins. Thus the insignificance of the external ceremony becomes sanctified as it were by the spiritual application; and through the medium of visible things, the things invisible and hard to be understood, are rendered more obvious to human capacities.

We arrive, then, at this conclusion-that whether by adapting his language to the circumstances of place or person, or by suiting his actions to the delivery of some important truth, nothing was omitted by our Lord to conciliate the prejudices of the ill-disposed, or to enlighten the darkness of error. There are divers languages for addressing the heart, as well as for speaking intelligibly to the ear; and if the mixed multitude which marvelled at the effects

of the descent of the Holy Spirit, heard the apostles telling in the tongue of each the wonderful works of God, the attendants on our Lord's ministry heard him too speak to each as it were in his own language, and accommodate his discourse by turns to the peculiar necessities of all, however various the occasions which presented themselves, or however different the characters which composed his auditory.

The particular feature of our Lord's ministerial character which has been contemplated in the preceding pages, is replete with useful in

struction.

1. It teaches that it is a duty incumbent on the clergy to render all things subservient to the object of their ministry. They have a double account to settle-an account with God, as well as an account with man; and, it may happen that though the latter party have nothing to object against them, yet their functions may not have been adequately discharged in the sight of the great High Priest of the church.

T

It is very possible that the legitimate demands of man may be satisfied, while little progress has been made in the liquidation of the debt due to an higher power. Like Job, men may be clear at the tribunal of their fellowcreatures, but may have nothing to answer when God riseth up in judgement. Even if their engagements be not exactly in the nature of a conditional contract, as far as man is concerned, yet there are certain extra-official obligations, certain undefined, though not the less binding duties, which every man' set apart' for the ministry has undertaken to fulfil. His work must not be looked upon as an ordinary profession, to be conducted on that principle of reciprocity which governs the common dealings of mankind. He desecrates his high calling when he considers it in the light of a mere commercial transaction, in which a bargain is struck for a certain return of services upon the payment of a certain price. Like his heavenly pattern he will constantly be about his master's business; he will avail himself of times and seasons and topics, and present the truths of which he is the