servant whom the Lord was besought to heal: but mark his humility, "I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof;" and what a display of faith is exhibited in his saying, "Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." At which Jesus marvelled, and said, "Verily, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel." Well might St. Peter exhort all those whom he addressed, "to be clothed with humility:"-for he adds, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble;" and enjoins, moreover, "Above all things, have fervent charity.

We also know that the great author of our religion not only taught and showed the necessity of our possessing these qualities, and was himself meek and lowly in heart -diffusing universal benevolence-but left us his new commandment-that we should love one another. And St. Paul, in following his exalted head, writes thus to Timothy: "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned." And again to Titus, in enumerating to him the things which become sound doctrine, he teacheth, "That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience"-the aged women, likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holi

ness, neither false accusers; which last is, I fear, too prevalent even in our day. But let it be remembered, that real charity out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned, thinketh no evil, much less would it accuse any one of evil. In discoursing, however, on the words which I have chosen, it will be necessary to explain, first, what is true charity and secondly, how this grace is to be put on? and thirdly, how is it the bond of perfectness? And in earnest supplication for the divine aid, and in humble dependançe thereon, I shall endeavour to define true charity, or love; and as it is the first fruit of the Spirit, so is it the bond or com pleteness of the whole. It is that universal love and benevolence of disposition which assimilates the human, nearest to the divine nature; and as God is love, so doth this neaven-born grace lead the soul to love God supremely, as the source and centre of our love; and it extends itself to all, shows or manifests itself to all, even to our enemies: to the Jew and to the gentile-to the bond and to the free-to a child-to a servant-to the lowest as to the highest; in a word, to all who have life, and to every circumstance of life. It will not only extend to all, and to every thing, but extends through time and to eternity: for charity never faileth;

it will fill all-it will exist in all for ever!But we do not possess this Christian quality till it is implanted in the heart by the divine power and grace of God. If any one

therefore thinks he hath this inestimable endowment, he will not behave himself unseemly to those whom he may fancy are not gifted like himself; nor will he, in consequence, arrogate to himself an attribute of omniscience, as it were, to decide upon others, and tell you, that the good works of his probably more humble brethren do not spring from grace in the heart. But let me ask, and I must do so with some degree of boldness, how can any one, I would say, ther, how dare any one attempt to determine the precise moment when grace becomes an influential or active principle in the heart of any man? And here I cannot help enlarging particularly on the conduct of some high professors towards their weaker, and I repeat, possibly more humble brethren. It is much to be lamented, that a supercilious demeanour, and not unfrequently bitter expressions and harsh judgment, have driven many an unobtrusive penitent from the church and from the sanctuary, whom tenderness and kindness might have conci liated, and made joyful in the house of prayer; instead of its being said of them,

They went out from us, because they were not of us." But let all those who say and act thus, beware how they offend one of these little ones who believeth in Jesus; and take an example even from the heathen mariners in their conduct towards Jonah and surely, when any one is flying for refuge and shelter and pardon into the arms of mercy, and is earnestly endeavouring to do the will of God, we ought to be cautious how we cast such a one into the deep. And let all those who are really seeking a Saviour, be assured that Jesus will not cast them out: "a bruised reed he will not break, nor quench the smoking flax." And though your fellow-mortals may slight, or pass you by with contemptuous scorn, fear them not: the haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the Lord will find out a way to comfort all those who need and seek the consolations of his spirit. Heed not then what any person thinks of you; if in humble confidence and hope you can look up to God, and say, "Doubtless thou art our Father, though one may be ignorant of us, and another may not acknowledge us: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer." Let us be careful how we suspect any of being unsound, before it is proved that we our selves are perfectly sound; and even were it

possible to come to any decision on this point, we are strictly forbidden to judge harshly or rashly; nay, further, we are enjoined not only to be careful of giving offence ourselves, but not even to cause our weak brother to offend.

Do we then imagine that any one acts upon false principles, from wrong motives, sinister views, ostentatious parade, or merely from an amiable feeling or common com passion for human suffering, or to be rid of atroublesome applicant, by giving out of their abundance; let us beware and examine weli our own motives and principles, whether they are quite pure and disinterested, before we decide so hastily, and condemn so rashly.

L

I now proceed, secondly, to inquire, how the grace of charity is to be put on? It must be so real that it must form, as it were, a part of us-ruling in our hearts so as to actuate our very thoughts and expressions. As charity thinketh no evil, therefore it will be courteous-it will be kind-it will not be easily provoked on every trivial occasion, as it will bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things. It must not be assumed as a garb or covering; but it must be an in-dwelling pervading principle, and as a light beaming forth its genial rays to revive, to cheer, and to bless all who come