discharge of duty alone, but in warm, heartfelt acts of kindness-if we waited not for a distinct call from the necessity of the case to stretch forth the hand, but rather sought for occasions to make all around us the objects of the outgoings of an affectionate kindness which continually struggled for expression, and in its acting would not be restrained. This scattering of the warm beams of a heaven-enlightened heart to all around, is one of the grand characteristics of the religion of Jesus. Were we to endeavour to express in two words the genius of that religion, we would say that it is concentrative and expansive ;-it is concentrative, because when the believer is awakened from his death-slumber, his first spiritual act, under the blessed agency of God the Holy Ghost, is to apply to himself the great and glorious scheme of Redemption, to gather into his own soul all the store of quickening grace, supporting love and precious promise in the Gospel, as if the whole rich provision supplied there had reference to him alone. There is not a word which his new-born spirit does not claim as a portion of his inheritance; there is not a fragrant flower, there is not a sparkling gem, there is not a rod of strength, which can be found within the compass of Emmanuel's land, that he feels may not be taken as his heritage for ever. If his eye rests upon the sharp and glittering arrow of conviction as it lies upon the page of truth, his own heart is probed by its searching point;-if the Balm of Gilead is there, his own heart is healed by it;-if glory, honour, and immortality meet his view as the rich promises of God, his own heart feeds upon them. He draws all the beauty, all the glory, all the excellence, all the loveliness, all the peace of the word of God to himself; through his Divine Master, there is not a ray of light which has

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filling his wishes and here is a principle bearing on all Christian acts of kindness which ought to influence all his followers. When we are engaged in acts of charity and love, do not let us delegate to others what we may accomplish ourselves do not let the instrumentality of a third party come between us and the objects of our solicitude and regard. If it is only a cup of cold water that we can give, yet let it be given by our own hands, in every case in which circumstances will permit of it. By this means we shall succeed much better in engaging the sympathies of our poorer and more distressed brethren, and in conveying to their minds a strong conviction of the sentiments of kindness and benevolence with which we are animated.

Much as there is in many respects effected in the present day, for the relief of the suffering and distressed portion of our community, yet perhaps there never was a period when the sympathies of the poorer classes have been more severed from the wealthier, than the present. And though these facts cannot be accounted for wholly on the ground I am now to state, yet I am convinced, that by no means one of the least causes of it has been, the prevailing habit of entrusting to public bodies the charity which would otherwise be directly applied by individuals. Whatever has given rise to this system, I am persuaded that it has been very injurious in its operation on all classes of the community, both on those whose charitable energies ought to be ever kept in living exercise, and those who ought to be the objects of benevolence and love. Societies are in many respects most valuable, and demand all the support we can give; but if we rest upon these as excuses for withholding our personal communications with the poor and the afflicted in the land-if we begin to think that they exonerate

us from following the example of the good Samaritan, who went himself and bound up the wounds, and took care of his suffering neighbour,-if this is the effect which charitable societies produce-and that they have done so in many instances is but too true-then I hesitate not to say, that their influence is so far injurious to that union and sympathy which ought to exist between the different classes in our land, the high and the low, the rich and the poor; because whatever tends to break off personal intercourse, severs personal interest. The proverb in this respect is alas too true, "Out of sight, out of mind." The charity of the one becomes a cold matter of calculation, a question of ways and means, and the feelings of the other are proportionably devoid of every thing which ought to characterize them in the way of thankfulness to God, and love and esteem towards the instrument of his goodness and favour. The rich do not see the abject misery of many at their door, and thus they have not the thoughts suggested to them of little acts of kindness which might soothe many an aching heart, or comfort many a troubled spirit;—and the saying is but too true, that one-half of the world knows not how the other exists;' while on the other hand, though relief may be conveyed to the poor with the language of kindness, they do not hear the accents of heartfelt pity, accompanied with which it was first bestowed; the beam of tender compassion, though it has sparkled in the eye of the benefactor, has not fallen with its lightsome glance on the afflicted and him that was ready to perish; and hence the estrangement of the different members of the same body—the coldness of charity, which has become proverbial—the ingratitude and imposture of the poor, which has been greatly caused by the conduct of those who condemn

it; and this state of things will assuredly not be mended until Christians find it in their hearts to go like our beloved Saviour, personally and actively among those who claim their attention and their sympathy, until they realize more of that spirit of love and charity, that spirit of genuine kindness, which our Saviour manifested through the whole of his earthly sojourn, and especially in the incident before us. We firmly believe, that a due and careful attention to this cardinal virtue of the Christian character, would, under God's blessing, be the means of effecting an amelioration and improvement in every rank of society, as great as it would be gratifying and delightful. And did we need any other stimulus than a Divine command accompanied by a Divine example, we might add the blessed reflection, that in exercising ourselves in acts of tender love and kindness towards each other-in, as it were, washing the disciples' feet-we are doing that which the Saviour will afterwards recognize in the most gracious manner. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." The force of example cannot be greater-the language of persuasion cannot be stronger-the application of every emotion which ought to influence the believer, in relation to his Divine Master, cannot be more powerful.

But our attention must now be turned to the declaration which our Lord adds to the direct instruction he gave in connection with the act he had just performed. "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them," Here he exhibited the true and only source of happiness-not knowledge, but action. Our first parents grasped in a forbidden manner at the tree of knowledge, and they entailed misery on themselves and their offspring the devils who were cast out by the power of

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Christ knew him, but they only trembled; and many at the last day shall endeavour to excuse themselves by their knowledge: "Have we not eaten and drank in thy presence;" of whom Christ shall say, I never knew you, depart from me." No, beloved, it is only the doer of the work that is blessed in his deed-it is only the doer of the work who finds the joy and peace, as well as the security, of being built upon the rock, and not on the shifting sand. If we then expect to find happiness, merely by acquaintance with the truths and by a mental perception of the requirements of the Gospel, we are drawn aside and deceived by the delusions of a carnal mind. Judas the traitor, who was present with our Lord on this occasion, could say as much. We are cheating ourselves to our own destruction. True happiness and peace arise solely from keeping the commandments of God, through faith in Jesus Christ. 'Great peace have they who love thy law, and nothing shall offend them." The more we engage, body, soul and spirit, in doing the will of God, the more shall we know of happiness; whereas the less fervently we serve him, the less peace shall we enjoy. This supplies the key to all the inward sorrows and trials of the Christian;—there is no backwardness in God to supply the blessing of peace; but there is a lack of consistency in the life and conversation of the believer, which too often mars his enjoyment of it; and on many occasions of deep heartfelt proving, when we feel as if forsaken by God, and altogether shut out from the light of his countenance, we should do well to look inwardly at our hearts, and around at our daily walk, to see whether there is not a root of bitterness springing up-whether there is not some laxity of Christian deportment, with the indulgence of which it would not be safe for us to

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