And is this all; is this all your holiness? Does your religion end here? Is this all that believing in Jesus has done for you? Remember, I beseech you, that the ordinances of Christ are not means of enjoyment, but means of grace; and though it is said that the travellers in the Valley of Baca dig up wells, which are filled with the rain from on high, yet it is also said: "They go from strength to strength." Awake, then, my friends, and let it no more be said of us, that our religion is confined to the house of God and to the Sabbath-day. Let us draw water with joy from these wells, just in order that we may travel the wilderness with joy and strength, and love and hope-blessed in ourselves, and a blessing to all about us. And if we speak thus to those of you whose religion seems to go no further than the ordinances, what shall we say to those of you who contradict the very use and end of the ordinances in your lives? Is it possible you can delight in worldliness, and vanity, and covetousness, and pride, and luxury? Is it possible that the very lips which are so ready to sing praises, or to join in prayers, are also ready to speak the words of guile, of malice, of envy, of bitterness? Awake, we beseech you; we are not ignorant of Satan's devices. To you he hath made himself an angel of light. Remember, it is written: "If any among you seemeth to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion, and undefiled before God and the Father, is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God!" Amen.

Preached before the Presbytery of Dundee, Nov. 2, 1836.

SERMON XLVIII.

CHRIST'S COMPASSION ON THE MULTITudes.

"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom and healing every sickness and every disease among the people But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest "-Matt. ix., 35-38.

I. "When Jesus saw, he was moved with compassion."-From Matt. iv., 23, we learn that when Jesus first entered on the minis

try, Galilee was the scene of his labors: "He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." And we learn also (verse 25), that great multitudes followed him. Chapters v., vi., and vii., contain a specimen of what he taught and preached; chapters viii. and ix., of the manner in which he healed: and now, at verse 35, we are told that he had gone over all the cities and villages of Galileehe had finished his survey; and "when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion." Galilee was at that time a thickly peopled country; its towns and villages swarmed with inhabitants; so that it got the name of "Galilee of the nations," or populous Galilee. What I wish you to observe, then, is, that it was an actual survey of the crowded cities, of the over-peopled villages, of the crowds that followed him; it was an actual sight and survey of these things, that moved the Saviour's compassion. His eye affected his heart: "When he saw, he was moved with compassion."

1. This shows that Christ was truly man.-The whole Bible shows that Christ was truly God, "that he was with God and was God," that he was "God over all, blessed for ever." But this event shows that he was as truly man. It is the part of a man to be overcome by what he sees. When you sit by the fire of a winter evening, when you hear the pelting of the pitiless storm, the rain and the sleet driving against the window, when you think of some houseless, homeless wanderer; your heart is a little moved, you heave a passing sigh, and utter a passing expression of sympathy. But if the wanderer comes to your door-if you open the door, and see him, all wet and shivering, the sight affects the heart-your heart flows out in a thousandfold greater compassion, and you invite him in to sit before the fire.

When the full bloom of health is upon your cheek, if you hear of some sick person, you are a little affected; but if you go and see, if you lift up the latchet of the door, and enter in with quiet step, and see the pale face, the languid eye, the heaving breast; then does the eye affect the heart, and your compassion flows like a mighty river. This is humanity, this is the way with man, this was the way with Christ: "When he saw, he was moved with compassion. Once they brought him to the grave of a dearly loved friend. They said: "Come and see;" and it is written: "Jesus wept." Another time he was riding on an ass's colt across Mount Olivet-the hill that overhangs Jerusalem; and when he came to the turn of the road, where the city burst upon the view, "when he came near, and beheld the city; he wept over it." And just so here. He had gone round the cities and villages of Galilee; he had looked upon the poor scattered multitudes, hastening on to an undone eternity: "And when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion."

Let me speak to believers. Jesus is your elder brother. He says to you as Joseph said to his brethren: "I am Joseph, your brother." In all your afflictions, he is afflicted. For he is not an high priest which cannot be touched with a feeling of your infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Some of you have little children pained, and tossing in fever. Jesus pities them; for he was once a little child. Little children, if you would take Jesus for a Saviour, then you might carry all your griefs to him; for Jesus knows what it is to be a little child. Grown believers, you know the pains of weariness, and hunger, and thirst, and nakedness. Tell these things to Jesus; for he knew them too. You know the pains of inward heaviness, of a drooping heart, exceeding sorrowful, even unto death-of the hidden face of God; Jesus knew them too. Go to Jesus, then, and he will heal them all.

2. This shows that Christians should go and see.- -Many Christians are content to be Christians for themselves; to hug the Gospel to themselves; to sit in their own room, and feast upon it alone. This did not Christ. It is true he loved much to be alone. He once said to his disciples: "Come into a desert place, and rest awhile." He often spent the whole night in prayer on the lone mountain side; but it is as true that he went about continually. He went and saw, and then he had compassion. He did not hide himself from his own flesh. You should be Christ-like. Your word should be: "Go and see." You should go and see the poor; and then you will feel for them. Remember what Jesus says to all his people: "I was sick, and in prison, and ye visited me." Be not deceived, my dear friends; it is easy to give a cold pittance of charity at the church door, and to think that that is the religion of Jesus. But, "Pure religion and undefiled, before God and the Father, is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep yourself unspotted from the world."

II. What it was that Jesus saw.

1. He saw the multitudes.—He had gone through the crowded cities and villages of populous Galilee; and O how many faces he had looked upon! This made him sad. There is something very saddening to a Christian to look upon a multitude. To stand in the crowded streets of a large metropolis, and to see the current of human beings flowing onward to eternity, brings an awful sadness over the spirit. Even to stand in the house of God, and look upon the dense mass of assembled worshippers, fills the bosom of every true Christian with a pitiful sadness.

Why is this? Because the most are perishing souls. Ah! it was this that filled the bosom of the Redeemer with compassion. Of all the bustling crowds that hurry through the streets of your town-of all the teeming multitudes that issue forth from your crowded factories-ah! how few will stand on the right hand of,

Jesus. Nay, to come nearer still, of the hundreds now before us in this house of God-souls committed to my care and keepingwilling and anxious as you are to hear, yet how few believe our report, how few will be to me a crown of joy and rejoicing in the day of the Lord Jesus!

Just think how dreadful, my friends, if there be one soul here that is to perish-one body and soul with us, in health and strength to-day, that is to be with devils in a short while, feeling the worm, and the flames, and the gnashing of teeth. If there were but one in the whole town, I do think it would be enough to sadden the soul. But, ah! does not the Bible say: "Many are called, but few are chosen?" Ah! then, you will know why Jesus was moved with compassion; and surely you will never look upon a crowd, but the same feeling will rise in your breast.

2. He saw the multitudes fainting.-Perhaps for hunger-poor, weak, frail men! There is something most moving in the sight of weak men, when they are in an unconverted condition. What would a spider be, if it were thrown into one of your great blastfurnaces? It would be as it were nothing; so weak, so miserable, so unable to resist the scorching flame. Just such was the sight Jesus saw, poor, frail men, fainting for lack of food, and yet perishing for lack of knowledge; and he thought, Alas! if they be unable to bear a little bodily want, how will they bear my Father's anger, when I shall tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury? Oh! no wonder Jesus was sad. Think of this, you who are very feeble and frail, unable to bear hunger or a little sickness. Think what a poor thing you are in a fever, when you need some one to turn you in your bed; how will you bear to die Christless, and to fall into the hands of the living God? If you cannot contend with God now, how do you think you will contend with him after you die?

3. He saw them scattered abroad.-When the sheep have been driven away from the fold, they do not all go in a flock; but they are scattered over the mountains; they run every one to his own way. This is what Jesus saw in the multitudes; they were all scattered, turning every one to his own way. In the cities and villages he saw men going every one after different things. One set of men were going after money, making it their chief good, toiling night and day over their work; yet not enjoying the money they made. Another set went after pleasure-the dance, the song, the pipe, and the tabor. Another set went after the joys of the deep carousal-their bellies were their god, and they gloried in their shame. Like the leech, they said: "Give, give." Another set went after still darker and more abominable things, of which it is a shame even so much as to speak. Jesus saw all the hearts of all-and had compassion; because they were all thus scattered, none seeking after God. Observe, Jesus was not angry; Jesus did not threaten; Jesus was moved with compassion.

Let me speak to the unconverted. You are thus scattered, every one to his own way. Each of you have got your favorite walk in life, your favorite footpath. You all go different ways; and yet all away from God. I do not know what it is that your heart loves most; but this I know, that you love to go away from Christ and from God. Christ's eye is upon you all, your histories, your hearts. He knows every step you have taken, every sin you have committed, every lust that reigns in your heart. His eye is now on this assembly. I will ask you a question. What does Jesus feel when he looks upon you? Some will say, Anger, some will say, Revenge. What does the Bible say? Compassion. Christ pitics you, he does not wish you to perish. Oh! the tender pity of Jesus. He would often have gathered you, as a hen gathers its chickens; but you would not.

4. As sheep having no shepherd. This was the saddest thing of all. If the sheep be driven away from the fold, fainting and scattered upon the mountains, and if there be a number of shepherds to seek the lost, and bring them back to the fold, the sight is by no means so painful; but when they are sheep that have no shepherd, then the case is desperate. So it was with the people of Galilee in Christ's day. If they had had pastors after God's own heart, then their case would not have been so bad; but they were like sheep that had no shepherd. This made Jesus sad.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Just as he went through the towns and villages of Galilee, beholding the multitudes, so does he now go through the towns and villages of our beloved land; and, oh! if his heart was moved with compassion over the thousands of Galilee, surely it must be breaking with intensest pity over the tens of thousands of Scotland. There may be some of you who can look coldly and carelessly on the fifty thousand of Edinburgh that never cross the threshold of the house of God. There may be some of you who can hear unmoved of the eighty thousand of Glasgow who know neither the melody of psalms nor the voice of prayer. There may be some of you who can look upon the haggard and vice-stricken countenances of the mill-population of your own. town, thousands of whom show, by their dress, and air, and open profligacy, that they are utter strangers to the message of a preached Saviour. Some of you may look on them, and never shed one tear of pity, never feel one prayer rising to your lips; but there is One above these heavens, whose heart beats in his bosom at the sight of them; and if there could be tears in heaven, that tender Saviour would weep; for he sees the multitudes fainting and scattered, and, oh! worst of all, as sheep that have no shepherd.

Some of you have no compassion on the multitudes. Some of you think we have enough of ministers. See here, how