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forgiveness of our enemies, consists, in exercising towards them those benevolent affections which, by the constitution of human nature and the command of God, we are bound to exercise towards all mankind; in the ready expression of our good will to them; in refraining from every act of unkindness or resentment towards them; and in a cordial desire and disposition to effect a reconciliation with them. As it is one of the most difficult virtues, so it is one of the most noble and exaltedin the highest degree perfective of human nature, and fruitful of the highest and the most sublime joys. It rescues us from those painful anxieties, from those intolerable convulsions which agitate the breast that is the seat of gloomy revenge-It sheds that ineffable and delightful tranquility which is alone the portion of the bosom that is at peace with the world-It animates the soul with the elevated reflection that in overcoming the direful passion of revenge, she has gained the trophies of the most sublime and exalted victory-It assimilates man to that gracious and merciful Being, who doeth good to the unthankful and the evil-It advances him into an intimate and glorious resemblance to that divine Saviour, who, in the ardours of infinite love, supplicated the pardoning efficacy of his blood for the relentless enemies who, with insatiable and malignant fury, hunted him to the cross. Ah! the devout communicant whose heart is deeply penetrated with the display of unutterable

mercy which the cross affords, will bury at the foot of the altar all his enmities, jealousies, and resentments. The blood of his Saviour penetrating through his heart will extinguish, by its potent efficacy, every wrathful passion. Love to God and man, ardent, holy, and constant as the fire of the eternal altar at which it is kindled, will alone inflame and animate his soul.

AN ACT OF THANKSGIVING,

FOR THE

HUMILIATION AND SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST.

Praises evermore be unto thee, O Eternal Son of God, who did take our nature upon thee, and for us didft become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

THAT, when by impious rebellion against our Sovereign God and merciful Father, we had fallen from our state of primeval rectitude and glory, had forfeited all title to the light of God's countenance, and incurred his awful indignation and wrath-that, when justice inexorably urged our excifion, and divine holinefs inflexibly demanded the vindication of a violated law-that, when among the host of heaven" there was none to help," among the innumerable orders of created beings there was none to uphold," none whofe "arm could bring falvation” for us-that, in

this our hopeless ftate of condemnation and mifery, when the mercy of the Almighty Father prompted, thou didst willingly undertake the office of our Redeemer

Praifes evermore be unto thee, O Eternal Son of God.

That thou, who "waft with the Father before the world was,"" the brightness of his glory and the exprefs image of his perfon"-thou, whom Cherubim and Seraphim adored, and to whom the exalted hoft of heaven bowed fubmiffive-didft cheerfully ftoop to veil thy unutterable glory in our frail and miferable

nature

Praifes evermore be unto thee, O Eternal Son of God.

That thou didst relinquish the infinite felicity of the Godhead, to be born, in our nature, of a humble and obfcure family; to be ufhered into the world among the beafts of the ftall; and to sustain the wants and pains of infancy and childhood,-when thou couldst have commanded the homage of the univerfe, and encircled thyself with celeftial majesty and splendor

Praifes evermore be unto thee, O moft Holy Fefus, Eternal Son of God.

That thou, whom angels and archangels counted it their glory fubmiffively to ferve, didft thyself become fubject to thy parents, rendering them reverence and obedience; and through the whole of thy benevolent life didft become the fervant of mankind in administering to their neceflities

Praifes evermore be unto thee, O moft Holy Jefus, Eternal Son of God.

That, in the profecution of the benevolent work of our redemption, thou didst fuftain want, and fuffering, and forrow; and didst even wander without a place to lay thy head,-when thou waft entitled to the eternal throne of univerfal dominion

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- Praifes evermore be unto thee, O most Holy Jefus, Eternal Son of God.

That thou didst encounter fhame, indignity and infult; didit affociate with the refufe of mankind; and patiently didft fubmit to the charge of acting in concert with the Prince and powers of darknefs-when thou couldst have commanded, for thy attendants, the brightest Seraphs that minister in the court of heavenPraises evermore be unto thee, O most Holy Jefus, Eternal Son of God.

That, in the day of thy humiliation as a fuffering Saviour, thou didst become "a man of forrows and acquainted with grief; that, laden with the fins of a guilty world, thou didst appear without form or comeliness," "thy vifage marred thy vifage marred more than any man and thy form more than the fons of men"-that, in the garden of Gethfamáne, uncheered by the watchful fympathy of thy difciples, thou didft, friendlefs and alone," tread the wine-prefs," of thy Father's wrath; and "drink the dregs of that cup of trembling" which infufed direful horrors through thy foul, and bathed thy convulfed body in a bloody fweatPraises evermore be unto thee, most Holy Jefus, Eternal Son of God.

That thou didft fubmit to be betrayed by one of thy disciples, and "lead as a lamb to the flaughter," by thy implacable enemies; that, deferted by thy timid and faithlefs followers, thou didft patiently fubmit, in the hall of the High Prieft, and at the tribunal of Pilate, to be unjustly arraigned and condemned, to be buffeted and fpit upon, fcourged and mocked-when thy onnipotent word could have ftruck to the earth thy vengeful adverfaries

Praifes evermore be unto thee, O most Holy Jefus, Eternal Son of God.

That thou didst patiently labour under the heavy load of the ignominious crofs on which thou waft to fuffer-and, condemned as a malefactor, didst, amidst the cruel taunts of thy enemies, fuftain the agonies of death made more dreadful to thy tender and fufceptible Spirit by the wrath of thy Father which, kindled by the fins of a guilty world, overwhelmed and confumed thee

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Praifes evermore be unto thee, O moft Holy Jefus, Eternal Son of God.

That for us men, and for our salvation, thefe painful fufferings, this ignominious and cruel death were patiently fuftained-that thou waft "wounded for our tranfgreffions and bruifed for our iniquities, that the chastisement of our peace was upon thee, and that by thy ftripes we are healed"

Praifes evermore be unto thee, O most Holy Jefus, Eternal Son of God.

That, by thy fufferings and death thou haft fealed the truth of thy doctrines, and exhibited a bright and affecting example of thofe graces of humility, meeknefs and love which thou doth call us to practice; that, by thy fuffering life and agonizing death, thou haft powerfully enforced thy inftructions, rendered an allfufficient atonement for fin, and shed divine and affecting luftre on that path of humble and holy obedience by which we are to afcend to the glorious and eternal bliss of thy celestial kingdom

Praifes evermore be unto thee, O Eternal Son of God, who didft take our nature upon thee, and for us didft become bedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

THE PRAYER.

"ALMIGHTY GOD, who haft given thine only Son to be both a facrifice for fin, and also an example

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