He had; all these graces, indeed, we are to labour after, to learn patience of HIM, and to "purify ourselves as He is pure;" but I do not know that the example of our LORD is put before us, as the great object of our imitation, in any other respect so much as in mercy and lowly charity. The old law our LORD tells us was, "thou shalt love thy friend and hate thine enemy," but His commandment is, "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them which hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your FATHER which is in Heaven; for HE maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust." And as St. John says, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him ?”

And it may be observed, that the Redemption of mankind—our being saved by the blood of CHRIST-does especially require these works of our hands; it is only doing as we are done by; it is only forgiving our fellow-servant a hundred pence after we have been ourselves forgiven a vast and immense sum, ten thousand talents of GOD. Our love is to be a sort of counterpart of CHRIST's love to us, poor indeed at the best, but still a counterpart. For example, it is to our enemies that we are commanded to do good, for we were enemies to God through wicked works when CHRIST died for us. Again, it is not enough to wish them good, but we must do them good, for we should have utterly perished, if CHRIST had only wished for our good, and not taken the means to procure it. And we are to take trouble and pains to do good to others, for so did CHRIST for us; we are to lower and humble ourselves in order to do them good, because CHRIST "being equal with GOD" humbled Himself so low, to take upon HIM the "form of a servant," in order to do us good. We are to pray for others that ill use us, for our life consists in CHRIST's interceding and praying for us, while we sin against HIM; and the beloved Apostle carries it even further than this, by saying, that as CHRIST "laid down His life for us, so ought we to lay down our lives for the brethren." This compassion and charity must indeed be practised by every one who hopes to be saved; and

every one may find opportunities and means to practise it in every situation of life in some manner; every one has some one to whom he may be kind and show mercy; every one has some opportunity of doing so. But of course some much more so than others: "as the body has many members," and these members have different offices, so is it with the Church of GoD, different persons have different duties which God has set them, and different things HE requires of them; and in the performance of each of these, men may be equally accepted of HIM, if they faithfully perform that part which He has assigned them. But at the same time it must be confessed that they whose occupation and business in life most of all requires of them to attend to the wants, both spiritual and bodily, of others, may most of all resemble the life of JESUS CHRIST; and therefore their life upon earth is the highest and best of all lives, that which a good man would most desire, if it were in his power to choose; for almost all that is recorded of our SAVIOUR's life is of this kind: all His works are works of compassionate kindness.

How often is compassionate pity mentioned of HIM like to that which the text speaks of in the good Samaritan, who, when he saw the wounded man, came to him and looked on him, and had compassion. In the lesson, for instance, for to-day, we read that when our LORD returned into the wilderness to be alone, for they had not leisure even so much as to eat bread, yet when they followed HIM there from their cities, yet, forgetful of Himself and of His own wants, we read, "Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion towards them, and HE healed their sick." And at another time we read, “Then JESUS called His disciples unto HIM, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way." And at another time we read of His "having compassion" on the multitude, because "they were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd." And in another place, that HE "had compassion" on the poor widow who had lost her child. Who does not in all these things see the good Samaritan, who "as he journeyed, came where the wounded man was, and had compassion on him?"

And at another time, when He saw the rich young man whom

HE in vain attempted to serve, He looked upon him with this same pity and tenderness; it is said JESUS "loved him." And at the grave of Lazarus, when He saw the relatives of the dead man in affliction, HE was moved even to tears, though He knew He could restore him to them. And in like manner, when HE approached the city of Jerusalem at the great Feast, and all around HIM were rejoicing, " HE wept over it," beholding at a distance the calamities which were coming upon it: "And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes." And no less pitiful and compassionate were our LORD's parting words when He left the temple for the last time: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not."

So that not only in the great work of our Redemption throughout does our LORD show Himself the good Samaritan, whom He has described, but even as the SON OF MAN upon earth did HE ever seem to be full of this human compassion; and when the hard-hearted Pharisees were angry at His healing an afflicted man on the Sabbath-day, He likened the poor man's case to that of one who "had fallen into a pit" and had none to help him, like the case of the wounded man in the parable: "And He said unto them, What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath-day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep!" Thus did He look upon suffering mankind as a brute creature fallen and helpless; but yet in His tenderness He would not have him considered as a brute animal, but adds, "how much is a man better than a sheep!”

And moreover we may observe, that although all our LORD's unwearied teaching was directed to the healing of men's souls, to the recovery of their immortal and better part, yet how very much compassion did HE ever show to the wants of their bodies also! Whatever their diseases were HE removed them; and even at the sight of the people who were hungry and weary "He was moved with compassion;" and those that were more helpless

than others, such as little children, He took up in His arms. Thus in His great kindness and gentleness to the bodies of men, He was indeed the good Shepherd, who "carries the lambs in His arms, and gently leads those that are with young."

But although our LORD's Own time during His ministry was spent in teaching and preaching, as well as in healing and working miracles, yet in the commands He has given to all Christians, it is to be observed that He does not say so much about converting and teaching the ignorant and thoughtless, as He does about kindness to the bodily wants and distresses of others. His words on the last Day will be, "I was an hungered and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger and ye took me in; naked and ye clothed me; I was sick and ye visited me; I was in prison and ye came unto me.". Nothing is said of teaching the ignorant, or of preaching the Gospel, or of converting the impenitent, in this blessed catalogue of those good deeds which He will remember at last. And the reason may be, that instructions of this kind our LORD seems to have confined more particularly to His Apostles, and the Seventy Disciples whom HE appointed and sent forth,-those servants whom He set over His household "to give them their meat in due season:" to them He speaks especially of bringing people to faith and repentance; and woe unto them if they do it not! But to Christians in general He says comparatively little about converting others, but gives them very strict laws of holy living, of mercy, and charity; and adds, "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your FATHER which is in Heaven." This is, I think, very much to be observed, because in the present day some people are apt to become impatient, if they are not engaged directly in teaching religion and in converting mankind; whereas it is very likely that their own hearts need conversion, and that they would do more to win others to religion by amending their own lives, by works of mercy, and forgiveness of injuries, than they could do by any other means. It is impossible for any one to practise these works of mercy, and even to be engaged in the work of the good Samaritan, but that he must win the souls of others, and "convert many to righteousness." If, in short, he will take care and amend his own heart the fruit will be good: it will shew itself in words and actions;

for "from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." His words and actions will be sanctified by the HOLY SPIRIT, so as to minister light to others.

It is of course far, very far, greater and better to do good to the souls of our brethren than to their bodies; but this is so great a work, that the good SPIRIT alone can do it, by His own appointed means; and perhaps one of His chief means of doing it is by the example of good people who show mercy.

And therefore it may be, that little or nothing is said of men being condemned on the Judgment-day for not converting others. On the contrary, they who are condemned are spoken of as coming forward and saying, that they "have prophesied," or preached, in CHRIST'S Name, and "in His Name done many wonderful things." But this claim of theirs He will not allow, but will condemn them, because they have not done works of mercy. And on many other occasions, it may be noticed in Scripture, that it is kindness to the bodily wants of men that is most particularly enjoined, such as is contained in these commands:" If any would have thee go with him a mile, go with him twain." "Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags that wax not old, a treasure in the Heavens that faileth not." "Verily, a cup of cold water given in My Name shall not lose its reward." And many other injunctions are there of this kind. In like manner, the actions that are commended of CHRIST in the Gospel, are not that I know, in any instance, those of converting others, but those which prove our own conversion. Such was the widow's mite, who "gave all that she had for God's service." Such was the good Mary, who sat earnestly listening to our LORD's discourses, having "chosen that good part which should never be taken from her." Such was Zaccheus, who gave half his goods to feed the poor, and made restitution fourfold. And so also the actions that are condemned in the Gospels are not an indifference to the souls of men, but to their bodily wants; as, for instance, the rich man who would not give to Lazarus of the crumbs that fell from his table; the wicked servant in the parable, that would not forgive his fellow-servant; and the hard-hearted Pharisee, who oppressed the widow and made a show of religion. And the descriptions of true religion in the Gospels, almost all relate to doing works of mercy ourselves, rather than that of preaching