THE NEW TESTAMENT. 85

In this case^ it is undeniaible that the anger
of Jesus Christ displays itself in the most abso-
lute form of unselfishness. Such was its uniform
character. Insult or personal injury never
once produced the feeling in Him. The Gos-
pels represent Him as exposed to circumstances
of the greatest provocation, and armed with
power to crush His foes. But He continues
unmoved ; He even expressly excludes sins
committed against Himself from that class of
offences which are incapable of forgiveness.
The extremity of agony forces from Him no
one reviling word, but only those of the ten-
derest compassion. The anger of Jesus Christ
was, therefore, consistent with the most abso-
lute unselfishness, and was not a deterioration
in His character, caused by His having been
soured by disappointment towards the close
of His career at the ill-success of the mission
which He had undertaken, and at the opposi-
tion which He encountered. If so, it must
have been the result of sonie form of self-
love ; but of the existence of this, not only is
there no trace in the Gospels, but it contra-
dicts aU the evidence which we possess. His
anger formed an essential portion of the holiness
of His mind, the stem reprobation with which
it contemplated the aggravated forms of sin.
