said to the woman taken in adultery, "Neither do I con demn thee; go, and sin no more ?" If we are to regard his life as one unmixed scene of benevolence, which I think that we must admit, then we must admit also that this peculiar trait of benevolence entered largely into his life. His reproofs were designed for the good of those to whom they were addressed. They were then benevolent.

As I have before shown that the great design of all the divine manifestations is the completion of a pure and heavenly character, we must therefore acknowledge that the person, who, for our good, reproves our faults, is entitled to our gratitude; while he, who, seeing our imperfections and consequent danger will not admonish us, not only consents that our vessel may be wrecked and lost, but that we may also sink beneath the ocean's wave, rather than be roused from our slumber to behold the danger of which we are unconscious in time to flee from it.

The benevolence of faithfulness is a rare and ill-rewarded virtue. The prophets of old were benevolently faithful. Those whom they reproved, however, were wont to be offended. The prophets were reproached, and cruelly put to death. The Lord Jesus was faithful to point out the ways of life, and urge upon the people to walk therein. But they were offended, and put him to death.

The apostle Paul was full of benevolence, in faithfully reproving every error which would do injury to the people. But he had occasion to say, "All Asia is turned away from me." Benevolence, when it assumes the garb of faithful admonition, to many loses all its charms. To my mind it never is more lovely. Its virtues then are manly and dignified.

I have before alluded to the benevolence of parents, in training their children to virtue, and remarked, that a desire for the improvement of their children would require the faithfulness of benevolence in correcting every fault. The father who could, unmoved, see his children adopting inju rious habits, must surely be destitute of all benevolence. I have often known parents to most severely chastise their children to break them of faults to which they themselves were given up. However inconsistent it is for men thus to act, still there is benevolence of design manifest in them towards an erring child.

The station of an evangelist, or an elder, in the church of Christ, calls loudly for the exercise of the benevolence of

faithfulness. If an elder, who is constituted a bishop or overseer of the flock of the Lord, fails to labour for the correction of evils, and the reproof of imperfections, he may see the church rapidly multiplying in numbers for a time, but at length the fabric will crumble to the dust. Where professors of religion will not receive reproof, they may truly be regarded as "proud, puffed up, knowing nothing." To perform the service required by the benevolence of faithfulness, requires great decision of character, strong conscientiousness, and deep affection. To receive its ministrations, and profit by them, requires an ardent interest for self-improvement, great conscientiousness, and humility. Persons wanting in personal humility, will make little improvement on account of a faithful reproof of their bad habits.

V. Benevolence of Equality.

The apostle James says, "If ye fulfil the royal law, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, Ye do well." The apostle enjoins simply, impartiality. For he adds, "But ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors."

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The benevolence of equality is but the rendering of a just and impartial decision between man and man; without allowing any popular or worldly or selfish consideration whatever to have any influence over the mind.

It will be recollected that the apostle James here introduces no new principle, but an old item of the Jewish law. He declares that any who would not come up to that standard could not be even good Jews, but would be even convicted of fault by the Jewish law. He addressed his epistle to "the twelve tribes," and they therefore well knew the authority to which he appealed.

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Jesus said, that to love God with all the heart, and one's neighbour as himself, were two principles, upon which hung all the law and the prophets. Yet, notwithstanding these plain annunciations that these were no more than the principles of Judaism, millions of professed christians have been led to treat this as almost an unattainable perfection of Christianity. Instead of this, it is only the recognition of the principle of our common humanity. It declares only that one man, by nature, can claim no ascendancy above another. It annihilates the principle and the practice of preferring men on account of wealth or temporal condition. And how ought we to tremble at the consideration of the

fact, that the christian standard of benevolence has been lowered even below the principles of Judaism, until among christians, in the assemblies of the saints, in their social associations, and in the marriage of their children, preference is given on account of wealth, and not on account of virtue. Most fearful apostacy! Debased even below the moral standard of Judaism!

When Jesus commanded, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them," he asserted, simply, the principle to which I have been referring.

This has been called "the golden rule," as though it were the sublimest elevation and loftiest excellence of christian benevolence. But this is a principle which reason teaches as the bond of social harmony. I am constrained to think that it was the observance of this principle among the heathen moralists which the apostle Paul alludes to, when he speaks of certain one's "doing by nature the things contained in the law." The morality of the law, then, was not dependant on faith, but the light of reason declared its consistency.

I cannot express my feelings of regret, when I remember that this law of nature, or reason, a moral principle of the law of Moses, should have been christened "the golden rule," by those who profess to be guided by the doctrine of Jesus. It serves to show how little the sublime principles of christian morality are understood, and how little they are appreciated by those who claim to be taught of God, through Jesus Christ. O when will Christianity be appreciated with its deep and heaven-born principles !

VI. Benevolence of Friendship.

The Lord Jesus, when about to lay down his life, said to his disciples, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Social affection has often, in the history of the world, been known to assume that tone of benevolence which urged to self-sacrifice for the good of friends. It is one of the noblest decisions of human nature. It compels our admiration. It is at such a time that human nature, simply considered, puts on its most magnificent dress. Probably no person ever read the account of the seige of Calais, where six selfdevoted individuals gave up their lives to save the city, without feeling impressed with awe at the greatness of the act. Universal nature echoes the praise of such an act.

When we read the account of persons putting their own lives in jeopardy to save the lives of their friends, we deem such an act the noblest that human nature is capable of performing. It is truly so. Human nature, unaided by motives of religious truth, can do no nobler work than this. Still I assert, without fear of contradiction, that this death of love is natural, not divine. It springs from nature. It is the law of social nature. This benevolence is instinctive in man. I will illustrate the matter.

Not many months since, through strong party feeling, a man of one of the popular religious sects, in the city of Salem, was heard to say that if he should see A. G. Comings drowning in the sea, he would be the last to afford him any assistance. The saying came to my ears, and I said, I do not believe a word of it; for he denies the benevolence of natural impulse. If he were suddenly to see me perishing, human nature would suppress that base and murderous sectarian feeling. Prompted by the first natural impulse, he would afford me relief, although upon regaining his sectarian position he might resume his murderous spirit. Murder is not in nature's benevolence.

It requires no faith, no spiritual discipline, for a man to lay down his life for his friends. It is the perfection of the benevolence of our social nature. But oh! how far below the noble impulses of our social nature, has religious partyism and corruption carried the so-called Christian community! What need of reform! As well might we have been left to drift along the current of nature's impulses,-yes, far better, than to have been only trained to party hatred, and the inhuman feelings which are generated by its breath. I am constrained to regard sectarianism as unsheathing its bloody sword, to wage the perpetual war with heaven's prerogatives, and satisfy its fiendish spirit in the corruption of human

nature.

VII. Fraternal Benevolence.

There is a strength to fraternal benevolence which outweighs the world. There is a fadeless charm in that word "my brother," that reaches up towards heaven. It pours its strength at the point of weakness. It has a bond that, seemingly, cannot die. It is rational and co-operative.

Fraternal benevolence is above all selfishness. It looks not merely on its own things. It is induced by a relation. It is not, however, a principle that can overlook all relation

of circumstances. It is the feeling of copartnership. Christianity approves its exercise. That tireless christian interest, for the increase of a brother's joy, which is expressed in the command of Paul to seek every man his brother's wealth, is a spirit which thousands might be profited by possessing. How different from that style of getting good bargains, &c. which is common at this day with many of those who claim to be the elect of God! How different from that moneyloving disposition, that covetousness, which throws its cankering influence over the vineyard of the Lord!

Where the spirit of fraternal benevolence of a christian character is seen, no man will retain for himself, when not really needing it, whatever may be needed by a brother to sustain him in the accomplishment of any laudable undertaking for the good of mankind. The primitive christians, although they held their separate possessions, had no separate interests. It was said, " And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.' (Acts iv. 32.) It is evident that they claimed no common right of possession, for each had his individual possessions. But the interest was general, diffusive, and impartial. Let the spirit of fraternal benevolence be revived, as in ancient times, and no faithful follower of the Lord will be left to struggle amid conflicting elements, without the speedy assistance of such as may be able to render him aid to the accomplishment of any laudable work. Further, I may say; let the spirit of fraternal benevolence be revived, and the poor will no longer be turned off upon a worldly charity, nor the faithful grow faint at the severity of their toil.

VIII. Benevolence of the spirit of Christ.

Christian benevolence is disconnected from the power of social feeling. It has a loftier, nobler end. It does not dictate to do a noble and generous act from the consideration that it may produce a return of the same. It raises above all such influences. Its blessings are the bounteous gifts of heavenly mercy. It seeks to do good, not stopping to ask whether the favour is to be reciprocated. It pours its healing remedies, not only into the wounds of a friend, but into those of an enemy.

Christ came, not to save those whose lives had shown them to be friends to the Author of life, but the lost-the enemies