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."

Charity consists of two parts, patience and benevolence. By the one, we suffer every kind of indig nity, without entertaining a thought of revenge; and by the other, we heap upon our enemies unsolicited favours. Our adorable Master, whose conduct has furnished us with examples of the most perfect cha rity, discovers to us the extent of this virtue, in the following passages. The world hath "hated both me and my Father" nevertheless, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. It hath been said an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth ;" and the time is coming, when it shall be said, a thurst with a sword for an abusive word; a pistol shot for a satyrical expression; "but I say unto you, resist not," according to the maxims of those, by whom you are evilentreated; "but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also:" i. e. suffer two insults rather than revenge one. Follow the same rule likewise with respect to their worldly substance," and if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy clock also" i. e. far from exacting with rigour, le ready to remit much of thy right, for the maintenance of peace; since it is better to suffer a double injustice, than to lack condescension and charity. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain:" i. e. merely yielding to others in things, that are good, or indifferent, is not enough; thy charity should rather prevent and surprize them with unexpected acts of civility and kindness. From these expressions it appears, that our Lord would have his disciples to possess a charity not only extraordinary in some degree, but altogether di

vine. In point of quality, he requires, that it should be equal to the inexpressible love of the Father; as a drop taken from the ocean is of the same nature with those mighty waves, that roll over the unfathomable deep. "If ye love them," saith he, "that love you, what reward have you? do not even the publicans so? Be ye, therefore, perfect" in charity, "even as your Father, which is in Heaven is perfect."

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Faith, unspeakably excellent as it is, would be void of any real worth, unless it produced this happy disposition." In Christ," saith the Apostle, the whole body" of the faithful," fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love. In Jesus Christ neither circumcision evaileth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith, which worketh by love: and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." This celestial grace runs through the whole circle of christian virtues. Thus when St. Paul enumerates the fruits or effects of the Spirit, he points to chartiy as the foremost of the train and when St. Peter recounts the virtues which a christian should add to his faith, he concludes with the finishing graces of "brotherly kindness and charity." Both these ideas are afterwards united by the great Apostle, where he exhorts the Colossians "to put on charity" as "that bond of perfectness," without which the christian character would be incomplete, and which may be said to include all the graces of the Spirit, as a thousand ears of corn are united in the same sheaf by one common band.

It was with these sublime views of charity, that St. Paul thus addressed his converts. By love serve one another; for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Owe no man any thing, but to ove one

another, for he that loveth another," in obedience to Christ's command, “ hath fulfilled the law. Charity never faileth ;" inasmuch as it is the source of heavenly joy. "Now, in the church militant, "abideth faith, hope and charity; but the greatest of these is charity," which shall eternally animate the church triumphant.

Even here on earth, it is counted as the beginning of eternal life, to know, by faith, that God is love, and that he seeks to gain our affections by blessings without number. A discovery of this kind cannot but give rise to some grateful return in the soul; since it is impossible firmly to believe these ravishing truths, without crying out, like the first christians, "We love him, because he first loved us." If God has mercifully made the first advances toward his rebellious creatures; if, notwithstanding the distance between him and us be infinite, and the obstacles to our union innumerable, he yet graciously presents himself in spite of all; if he yet inclines to pardon the guilty, and endeavours to reconcile the world unto himself by Jesus Christ; what conscious heart can be unaffected with these tokens of his love, or what tongue be silent in his praise ?

This God of charity thus affectionately addresses an ancient class of his servants; "I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee." The favour which he here expresses toward the Jewish church, is great; but that, which he testifies to the christian church, is still more astonishing. His Son, the living and eternal image of his Father, humbles himself to the dust, and invests himself with our nature, that raising us from our low estate, he may, at length, place us at the right hand of the Majesty on high. "He loved the church," saith St. Paul," and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, and that he might present it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing." Thus

he has given to believers an example of the love, which they ought to entertain for all their christian: brethren, and to husbands a pattern of the attachment they should feel to their wives; since he left the bosom of his Father, for the very purpose of suffering with, and for his church, which in the language of scripture is called his spouse. But, adds the Apostle, this is a great mystery." Now the true minister is happily initiated into this grand mystery of charity. He can say, with Peter, " Lord! thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee:" he can testify, with Paul, "the love of Christ constraineth me: and, at other times, when the emo tions of his heart are too tender for utterance, tears of gratitude and joy, silently cry out, like those of dissolving Mary, Lord thou art worthy of all my love, since thou hast graciously pardoned all my sin. Animated with this love, he publicly insists upon universal charity, with all the ardour of St. John, testifying that it flows from the knowledge of God, and must be considered as the root of christian obedience. "Hereby," saith he, "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. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but," according to the example of Christ," in deed and in truth:" for, "if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." And rememher," he that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love."

Although Christ evidently came to break down the wall of separation between the Jews and Gentiles, by preaching the doctrine of universal charity'; yet he willed, that believers should love one another with a peculiar degree of affection. We are required to meet the unregenerate with a love of benevolence: but believers should be bound to each othér by ties so tender and powerful, that the world may acknowledge them to be men of one heart and one soul.

66 By this," saith our Lord, "shall all men

know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." And who can describe the generosity, the sweetness, the strength, and the constancy; of this enlivening grace? It is more active than the penetrating flame; it is stronger than death. "The communion of saints," is received among christians as a sentence in their established creed: happy would it be, did it constitute a part of their religious experienced As to the difference betwixt christian charity, and that which was required under the law, it seems to be satisfactorily pointed out by St. John, in the following passage: "Brethren I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which ye had from the beginning" for Moses himself earnestly exhorted his people to maintain among themselves the fire of fraternal love.

Again, a new covenant I write unto you :" new, in relation to Christ, who hath loved us not only as himself, but even more than himself; since he offered up his life a ransome for the rebellious. Moses tasted not of death for Pharoah, as Jesus did for Pilate, Herod, and Caiaphas. The christian legislator alone requires a charity of this perfectly disinterested nature; and for the support of so exalted a precept, he has seconded it with his own great example. "Herein is love," continues the Apostle, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Love," then, is undoubtedly of God;" flowing from him, 2s from an inexhaustable spring; "and he that loveth, after the same pure and fervent manner, "is born of God, and knoweth God."

This charity is set forth by St. Paul, as a source of consolation. "If," saith be to the Philippians, "there be any comfort in love, be ye like-minded, having the same love" one to another: and, "let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." And in another epistle, he cries out; " I have a great conflict for them at Laodicea, that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love."