and merciful; yea, this love or charity is longsuffering and kind to friends and enemies; charity envieth not with a gross natural envy, for it subdues this and renders a man's disposition mild and pacific; charity vaunteth not, is not puffed up, does not conduct with a carnal and arrogant mind towards those who have fallen into error, does not behave unseemly towards them, she seeketh not her own advantage, but that of others, and is concerned for her neighbor's welfare as much as for her own; she is not easily provoked by those who do not the same to her; thinketh no evil on that account, yet rejoiceth not in such iniquity, nay she is sorry for it and sendeth her complaint to God (Matt. 18, 31.); but she rejoiceth in the truth. O her greatest pleasure is when she meeteth this; she beareth every thing, knowing that it comes from beloved hands; she believeth all things, therefore all things serve for the best; she hopeth to obtain all things that are prepared for her in heaven, therefore she endureth in patience all that befalleth her here in this life. 1 Cor. 13. Love is not deceptive, is without dissimulation, without hypocrisy, and opposed to evil, abhors that which is bad, avoids that which

is evil, but cleaves to that which is good, as being the spirit of life and of power. Rom. 12, 9. "The men who possess this love, are those to whom the yoke of Christ is easy and his burden light; such persons can say,

his commandments are not grievQus. 1 John 5, 3.

O that all men possessed this love! then the lawyer and the judge, the king and the magistrate would be needed no more, but Christ would be all in all,

7. Stronger far than death, is love,

No water makes it cold.
He who has it, has God above,

Who will him firm uphold.
8. Thou ornament of saints, O love,

In thee their soul is clad,"
Thou dost her pure affections move,

With Christ the Lord to wed.
9. As faithful bride she does agree,

In his commands to live,
And hence in vast eternity

The crown of life he'll give. O blessed Jesus, instructor and head of thy church, the Alpha and Omega, the author and finisher of our faith, the fulfilment of the law, priest, mediator, and advocate of our souls, thou who wast constrained, by thy great mercy and deep compassion, to take upon thee the form of a servant, so that thou hast assumed our weakness, and become our instructor, forerunner, way, and truth, and hast left us an exam. ple, that we should follow thy steps : but we as sinful, earthly and impure vessels, are by nature entirely incapable of knowing thee in thy divine attributes, and of apprehending thy blessed doctrine. For we are by nature carnal, but thy words are spiritual, in which is concealed thy spiritual life, the divine way wherein thou walkedst, thy spiritual light and hidden manna. 0 Jesus! who are the men tha

can tract us this spiritual way, unless thou goest with us to the work, openest our blind eyes, grantest hearing and speech to us deaf and dumb creatures, that we may be able to see, hear and speak in a spiritual manner, and enter through the gates of death into life, and live in thee, as thou livest in the Father, that we may in thee and thou in us, as thou in the Father and the Father in'thee, enjoy the perfect fellowship of the Holy Spirit. O Jesus, grant as a portion of this grace, that our hearts may be inflamed with thy love; destroy in us all en

e vy and bitterness, so that we may, through this charity, love our enemies, do good to them that hate us and persecute us, pray for them that injure us, bless those that curse us, that we may be perfect in thee, and walk even as thou hast walked; for tħy walk was aceording to the will of thy Father, and thy meat was to do bis will; thy doctrine and obedience, crucifixion and death, resurrection and ascension, were for our sakes : so likewise, O Jesus, ought our walk to be according to thy will, and our meat should be to do thy will; and our obedience, cross and temptation, yea our justification and everlasting redemption are for thy sake, that we may honor thee, O Jesus, even as we honor the Father. Amen, O my soul. For what should separate thee from the love thou hast tasted in Jesus; if he is thy head and bridegroom, and has given thee the token of his love, preserve it till he comes. Amen, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

CHAPTER FOURTH Embraces a part of the 6th chapter, from the 1st to the 4th

verse, and treats of the manner in which alms should be given.

Beloved reader, the Lord Jesus has shown us, in the commencement of his sermon, the beginning of, and introduction to a christian life: he has disclosed to us the fact that it is necessary forus, in humility of spirit and godly sorrow, to die to the world and our own selves, and to advance through real liunger and thirst after the righteousness of Christ from one degree to another, till finally we be filled with all the fulness of God; and this superabundant grace can then bring forth and produce nothing but the blessed fruits of righteousness, namely faith, hope, love, patience, true obedience and a godly conversation in the world, that we may shine as lights in the midst of an adulterous and perverse generation, holding forth at the same time the word of eternal life. Phil. 2, 15. 16.