lest, through our ignorance or inadvertence, or, what is worse, through our wilful and allowed defects, the word of God should be evil spoken of, and the salvation of our own souls endangered!

But we are told that we must love mercy. Justice appeals to an unerring standard, to which we must conform our words and actions. We have no choice as to the extent of our obedience to its dictates. The exercise of mercy will depend upon the state of our own affections, and must be cultivated with assiduity and delight. We must love mercy, or we shall never adorn our profession of the gospel, which is the wonderful display of mercy towards ourselves. Mercy includes every act of love, whether that love relates to the relief of the distressed, the succour of the needy, or the forgiveness of the offending. It is the copy of the divine compassion, as far as man can imitate it; and therefore we are exhorted to be merciful, even as our Father which is in heaven is merciful. The apostle John has made the exercise of this mercy to our brethren the criterion of the love of God within our souls. "Whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him."-" He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" It would be well, therefore,

if all who profess godliness would try their consciences by this rule of holy love; would examine how far they devise liberal things towards the needy and distressed around them; and not only whether their compassion extends to the bodily wants of their fellow-creatures, but whether they have that tender feeling towards all men, which leads them to lay aside all selfishness and vindictiveness; to abstain from all censorious and uncharitable judgments; to check the propagation of all slander and evil speaking; and to exercise toward all men, even towards those who are not actuated by similar feelings toward them, the kind and forgiving spirit of the Saviour, the generous and tender disposition of that God who "maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." This it is to love mercy.

Furthermore, we must walk humbly with God. As the two preceding points have included our duty towards our neighbour, so this last remaining command contains the sum and substance of our duty towards God. We must cherish an humble and faithful dependence upon his grace to help our infirmities, and upon his mercy to pardon our sins. We must set the Lord alway before us; we must acquaint ourselves with him, and humble ourselves before him. Without this due acknowledgment of our dependence upon God, without this cultivation of a

holy and humble spirit in all our intercourse with him, the performance of our duties towards each other will be of no avail. We may be liberal in our transactions with our fellow-men, eminent for our integrity and benevolence; yet we may be proud and self-righteous, like the Pharisees of old. Our tempers and dispositions may be far removed from contrition of heart, or humiliation before God. Our very strictness in the fulfilment of the outward demands of human duties, (so to speak,) may arise from motives that have not the fear or the love of God for their origin; and may tend only to show how the heart can deceive itself with outward observances, while its affections are still unsanctified, and its desires still fixed upon unworthy objects.

On the other hand, the hypocrite may rely on the fancied devotion of his apparent zeal for God's honour, and upon his outward observance of religious observances; yet his character will show its deficiencies when tried by the test of his performance of the relative duties. Any attempt to form a character pleasing to God, on any other basis than the just combination of these great and fundamental virtues, is utterly vain: judgment, mercy, and faith, those "weightier matters of the law," must be regarded with due attention by those who desire to do that which is well pleasing in the sight of God. And when we have endeavoured to do justly and to love

mercy, let us examine whether these our endeavours spring from the only efficient source, a truly religious feeling. Let us examine whether we, who are before the world, just and benevolent, are also humble in our walk with God. Let us consider whether our private hours, those moments when no human eye is upon our actions; whether our secret thoughts, those imaginations of our hearts, of which no human breast except our own is conscious; let us consider, I say, whether these our secret things are indeed as blameless, and as pure, as holy and compassionate, as our external conduct would argue them to be; and whether, under all circumstances, we can utter that prayer of the Psalmist, "Examine me, O Lord, and try me; search out my reins and my heart. Look well if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

It only remains to make one remark on this beautiful and comprehensive passage of Scripture. Many persons will be found to quote this very text, with a view to show that there was no necessity for the revelation of Christian doctrines, when such an epitome of our duty was already given. Such persons will be ready to deny the necessity of regeneration, or the efficacy of faith in order to justification; as if the rules here laid down were alone sufficient for our salvation. But this proceeds from a mistaken

notion of the whole matter. Christianity does not contradict this beautiful summary of practical religion it rather explains and illustrates its requirements. It shows that which, without its light, man could not have fully discerned, namely, "how he shall walk humbly with his God." It shows him, in the manifestation of Jesus Christ, the only method of acceptance with the Father; and in propounding the efficacy of his atonement, it gives a confidence and hope to the soul, that could not find wherewith she should come before the Most High, and bow herself before the Lord: and this exhibition of divine mercy, thus providing that acceptable atonement which the thousand rams of the Levitical sacrifices prefigured; thus bringing in the First-born into the world to die for the sins of men, does of itself generate the feeling of humble penitence, and confident faith towards this merciful God. Here, then, is the foundation of every other excellence; here is the great master motive from which all other virtues spring; here is the great model for our imitation; here is the all-prevailing assistance to us in our pursuit after that excellence which is proposed for our example. Justice and mercy, integrity and benevolence, truth and uprightness, here shine forth with their full splendour. "Be ye merciful even as your Father which is in heaven is merciful.""We love him because he first loved us; and if