kindness on his lips. So uniform was he in

his whole character while on earth, that the apostolic boast was, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever!"

Now the mild and lovely character of the Saviour may be, and ought to be, employed, both as an encouragement to come unto him for salvation, and as an example to be copied by all who have committed their souls into his hands.

It is an encouragement to apply to him for salvation. For it is not by the death of Christ

only that we learn his willingness to save unto that, indeed, places his good

the uttermost

will towards man beyond all reasonable doubt, because no greater proof of it could be given than dying that we might live. Demonstration can go no farther; but the same conclusion may be fairly drawn from the uniform meekness and gentleness of his character: these

form the steady day-light of his love to man, as his sufferings and death are that love "shining in the greatness of its strength." Indeed, he intended the sweetness of his temper, and the suavity of his manners, to illustrate and exemplify both the genius of his Gospel, and the loving-kindness of God. Hence the explicit assurance,-" He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father also." We are therefore warranted to apply unto God and the Lamb, as freely as the mothers of Israel brought their infants to be blessed-as freely as the friends of the sick brought them to be healed-as freely as the publicans and sinners came to sit at Jesus' feet. And if we would not hesitate, were he on earth, to present our infants to him for his blessing, we need not hesitate to venture our souls upon his atoning blood. His heart is as open to welcome now, as his arms were then.

"Give him, my soul, thy cause to plead,
Nor doubt the Father's grace."

But his character is intended also, and should be employed, as an example to copy. The meekness and gentleness of Christ are as binding in their practical authority, as they are encouraging in their benevolent aspect. They are not, however, so much imitated as they are admired; but rather complimented than copied. Indeed, there are heavy complaints and charges current against many of the avowed followers of Christ. It is thought and said, that in the present day they are not characterized by meekness nor gentleness. They ought to be like the cherubim upon the ancient mercy-seat; of the same metal and polish as the propitiatory which they stand upon; and, if in general they are not so, it is imperative on your sex, as well as the pulpit, both to expose and improve the wrong

spirit and the wrong manners of the age-that all who have been "cast in the mould of the Gospel" may be polished, as well as moulded. 1 Peter iii. 1, 6. Thus, as women were the first at the Sepulchre of Christ to see him alive, so they are chiefly charged to copy His meekness and gentleness, both for their own sake, and to win others.

Now (without joining issue with the sweeping charges just referred to) it must be acknowledged that some of the avowed followers of Christ are unamiable both in their spirit and deportment. Some of them are consequential, and others capricious; some reserved, and others morose; some irritable and others peevish; some rash, and others captious. These things ought not to be. But still, whilst we deplore and condemn them as unchristian, we ought to bear in mind how much worse the persons chargeable with them must have been

if they had had no religion; for if they are disagreeable notwithstanding all the restraints

of conscience, they must have been intolerable without them. As a good man once said of his wife, when a neighbour wondered how he could bear her unhappy temper, "I keep thinking how much worse it would be if she had no grace." And the fact is, it is with some minds as with some fields-there are thorns and briers in them even after much pains has been taken to cultivate the soil; and, although this cannot be too deeply lamented, we must not forget what the soil would have been without cultivation.

It is not intended by these remarks, to palliate, or apologize for, wrong tempers, but simply to present the case in all its bearings and aspects. It ought, therefore, to be stated explicitly that it is the difficulty of conquering

them, rather than reluctance to relinquish them