the principle of heathenism, and the | of which I have gladly consented striking contrast between Christian to advocate again this day. I cannot love and Pagan superstition, than this astonishing fact, that there is no man who cares for the state of his absent brother. What a condition of hardheartedness and want of feeling!what an exhibition of self-love, selfindulgence, and self-ease! Then he adds this humiliating description of the general character of those by whom he was surrounded. "All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's."

but feel a particular interest in directing your attention to a charity, the sphere of which is doubtless of local interest to the greater part of those who hear me. Many are now in this house of prayer whose daily occupations incapacitate them from being themselves the almoners of their own charities, and it will doubtless cheer their hearts to know, that while they are employed in their daily task, and performing their social duties in the discharge of their appointed functions, there are others, whose pleasure and whose duty it is, to go about to the habitations of the most wretched of the sons of men, there to seek that-no, I would recal the word, for unhappily there is no need of seeking out, such objects are but too obvious, they are before our eyes and around us on every side: to these, those who are employed in the service of this Society direct their steps, to carry with them something of this world's riches, and to impart at the same time to them (a point to which I shall advert presently), something of the unsearchable riches of Christ, employed through the working of divine grace, under the influence of that Christian spirit which I have set before you as my text

But humiliating as it must have been to the apostle to have uttered this sentiment, the Christian, also, has but too often reason to humble himself before GOD, and is constrained to utter the same sentiment: "All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." The truth is, that the gospel introduced a new principle in this respect. "A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another :" and it is on this new commandment that the precept in the text is founded-"Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." To the precepts of Christianity we owe that kindly and sympathetic feeling which the heart of the heathen never conceived, and which his hands never executed they are the source of all those charitable designs for the relief" All things, whatsoever ye would of human wretchedness which are multiplied around us in every corner of our land-we are indebted to them for our houses of mercy and for our provision for the sick and indigent for all those unnumbered societies which are now walking through the haunts of vice, and misery, and wretchedness, as angels of peace, scattering blessings wher-soever ye would that men should do ever they go.

Of this description is the humane and benevolent institution, the cause

that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."

And, first, I infer from these words, The mutual dependance of man on his fellow man. Our Lord seems to imply, as it were, that each will have a duty which may challenge at the hands of his fellow creatures that he should perform it unto him.-"What

to you, do ye even so to them." Doubtless experience proves this to be true: there is not a child of man

who has not his own special burden | eatest thou shalt surely die;" and to bear; every man knoweth his own until the Saviour, in all his grace, sorrow. The weight and the pressure and mercy, and love, condescended of evil may not be the same to all per- to reverse that sentence, and to satisfy sons, or to all persons at all times: but God's justice by his own sacrifice still the universal law prevails—“Man once for all, there was no fountain is born to misery as the sparks fly up- opened for man's salvation. But alward." The body has its diseases, the though it was impossible not to allude mind has its trials: it is sometimes to this important truth, it is not that the outward man, sometimes the inner effect of the entrance of sin into the man that suffers; but in one way or world to which I now particularly other, all are liable to suffering; and wish to direct your attention. Out of for the best and wisest reasons, to the abundance of Christ's love, he feel experimentally in your own souls gave the precept in the text, that man that “By one man sin came into the for Christ's sake should aid his sufferworld, and death by sin." It was not ing brother.-"Thou shalt love thy so in the beginning, when GOD made neighbour as thyself," is like unto the the world. In the early morning of first and great commandment of the the creation the Lord pronounced the law. And is there a being with hardness universal work to be very good: but of heart sufficient to deny this assereven then, the Almighty Architect of tion? The difficulty of paying literal all the fair and glorious structure of obedience to the precept, should make the world, himself informed the being us doubly cautious how we suffer any into which he had breathed the breath relaxity of it so much as to appear in of life of what should happen to him our conduct. "In the day thou eatest thou shalt surely die."

Brethren, it is well in the things of providence and the things of grace, as well as in the things of nature, to trace effects to their causes. The threatening was given in mercy, but the doom of the sinner, if sin was committed, was not to be reversed "In the day thou eatest thou shalt surely die." "Cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life." Now the consequence of this has been, that in this sense the world required the sympathy and the aid of nature. This, indeed, may be considered as a consequent effect. The first and the most important consequence was-that man required the aid of GOD. The doom of man threw the creature directly upon the mercy of the Creator for salvation. The sentence which was given out was, "In the day thou

Observe the strength of our Lord's expression-" All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."—" All things whatsoever ye would." And doubtless, brethren, it has been wisely ordained for the exercise of this grace

which the Lord has commanded--that on the mutual dependence of man on his fellow man, the foundations of social life are laid. This part of the divine economy, so far from needing an apology, is rather a demonstration of the wonderful goodness of GOD; and man, therefore, who is of "few days, and full of trouble," challenges as a right our Christian sympathy. Wheresoever the Gospel has been preached, the value of human life has risen in the scale, to a height unknown and unconceived before. But be it recollected, brethren, love, in its highest and most extended sense, was unheard of until it formed a part of the

revealed system. Man knew not the nature of his charitable obligations, until Christ taught him who was his neighbour: neither was man aware of the dignity to which he might attain in his labours of love, until his Saviour condescended to assure him, that his ministrations to the poor, or to the impotent, or to the sick, were counted as ministrations done unto himself—"Inasmuch as ye have visited one of the least of these, my sick | brethren, ye have visited me.”

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are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation." As if the powers of expression were inadequate to convey the feeling that burnt within him, he repeats again and again, in varied terms, the same delightful message. He calls it, in the same verse-“good tidings;". peace"-"good tidings of good,"; "salvation." And well indeed might the prophet exhaust the treasures, if it were possible, even of an inspired pen, on such a theme as this. Men and angels are alike unable to fathom its depths; thought cannot conceive it; speech cannot utter it; and understanding cannot apprehend it: but, blessed be GOD, when thought, and speech, and understanding fail, love can adore. The thankful heart of the believer, though it cannot enter into the stupendous grace of the Saviour, in all its height, and length, and breadth, and depth, yet can he adore; though his tongue cannot tell half of the good tidings, there is an inward witness to be given, which proclaims in intelligible, though unutterable language, that they are leading to assured and substantial realities. Though the veil is upon his

I turn, secondly, to the duty which devolves on each to assist his neighbours, especially in spiritual things. And I the more willingly introduce this topic unto your consideration, because I perceive, with unfeigned satisfaction, that this point forms a prominent object of the labours and duties of this society. It is stated in the last Report-" It has been the desire and aim of your visitors, while relieving temporal suffering and want, to lead the attention of families or individuals visited, to those things which concern their everlasting felicity; and often have they been encouraged, in beholding a spirit of patience and resignation flowing through adversity, and affliction, and penury." Brethren, I am persuaded, there are many Chris-understanding, and he has but feeble tian hearts here present, who will respond with gladness to the truth here disclosed. It has been the privilege of these visitors, to carry not only temporal relief to their perishing bre-exclaims already with the Queen of thren around them, but they have been the blessed channels of communicating that blessing without which And to whom, then, is the word of all others, be they what they may, are this salvation sent? The visitors of buts as nothing. How this topic is the homeless, of the poor and sick, dwelt upon in Scripture I need scarcely are commissioned to carry to these stop to point out to you. Wherever abodes-too often the abodes of sin the sacred writers introduce the word and vice-to carry the message of "peace," they seem to dwell upon it, peace. Perhaps there may be some as it were with especial regard. Listen, here who think, that the message of for instance, to the words of Isaiah-peace should be carried, exclusively, "How beautiful upon the mountains to those who have never yet heard

views of the joys of salvation which shall be revealed hereafter; yet he is content to walk by faith, where he cannot attain to the sight of them; and

Sheba, in anticipation of his future prospect "The half was not told me."

the name of Jesus-to some heathen And is there, do you ask, a message land, to some nations sitting in dark- of peace from GOD, who is the author ness and in the shadow of death. The of peace, to such miserable sinners truth is, brethren, that the servants as these? Can such captives be liof Christ must be commissioned to berated? Can eyes so blind recover those around them who know not the sight? Can hearts so cold and deaf, plague of their own hearts, as well as be raised again to sense and feeling, to them who are afar off. He must to hear the accents of peace? Brepreach peace to his brethren near thren, who is there can answer such home, who know not peace, as ear- questions, but in the word of the nestly, as intently, and as faithfully, prophet himself-" Lord God, thou as he would do it amongst the be- knowest"-thou knowest, whose pronighted heathen, who have never vince it is to speak the word and to heard of the name of Jesus, or bowed | give life; to take out the heart of at the sound of his holy title. Will stone, and to substitute a heart of the visitors of the poor, or indeed of flesh in the place of the old man, the any class of society, find none who will evil affections and the lusts of the need peace among those who have flesh. Yea, and blessed be GoD, they from their cradles, and from their know also who have gone on errands youth up, been nourished in all the of mercy, not merely laden with the privileges of religious ordinances? good things of this life, but intent on Will he find none who will need peace, bringing good tidings, and publishing even in families professedly Chris-salvation - they have witnessed the tian? Will he find none who will need | truth of God's declaration. They have peace, even among those who have assembled here, in the Lord's house, whose hands have been lifted up in seeming prayer, whose faces have bowed in the posture of adoration, whose lips have been eloquent in the language of supplication and praise? Will he find no valley of dry bones about him, like that seen by the prophet in vision, on which the Sun of Righteousness has not risen, and whither no breath of the Spirit has yet gone forth, to quicken into life that which is lying dead in trespasses and sins? To questions such as these the Scriptures give an explicit answer: all are concluded under the same necessity of reconciliation; it is not here a sinner, and there a sinner-a mote, as it were, in a sun-beam-a depar-have peace with GOD, through our ture from the common course of things, and the general nature of man: no, the Bible involves all in the confession, that, "There are none righteous, no not one."-" All have sinned, and come short of the glory of GoD."

gone in the very strength of GOD, not to wield their own arm of flesh, but the sword of the Spirit: in the very depths of ignorance, in which they are called to hold up the torch of truth, they have witnessed the special fitness of the salvation that is in Jesus to the case of man. However low the condition, to which he is subject, it is not so low but that he may be raised from it by the grace of Christ; however desperate the disease under which he labours, there is a balm in Gilead which is suitable for him even when the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. Is a man ignorant? A single verse in the Bible will make him wise unto salvation-" Being justified by faith, we

Lord Jesus Christ." Are his iniquities more in number than the hairs of his head, a burden which he cannot shake off-yet a burden too heavy for him to bear? Remember those gracious words-" Come unto me all ye that

are heavy laden, and I will give you put it to your consciences, whether rest." this has been the measure of your I cannot see before me so many of liberality? Have your hearts been my poor brethren, without thinking enlarged according to the Christian that those words were spoken with measure? Have you responded to special reference to them in particu- your Lord's command as dear childlar, whose lot is in this world full of ren-obedient children-glad to hear privation and misery, in order that it their Father's their Lord's voice-earmight lead them to feel that what-nestly engaged in fulfilling the inever their lot here, there is one that junction? You know who are the obcareth for them, even GOD; and that jects of this charity—the sickliest and they may come to him, and derive the most necessitous amongst those of from him rest to their souls, and that whom possibly your own neighbourpeace which passeth not away, and hood may furnish many examples. which man, as he cannot give, so he Remember, that if you differ from cannot take away from them. O, that them in the measure of your temporal they would think of these things, that comforts, it is God who maketh you to they might see the merciful provision differ. Leave a thank-offering to GOD, which GoD in Christ has made for on GoD's altar. their souls-that proof of his love for them, that token of his inexhaustible long-suffering towards them, which shews that he desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his ways and live.

I must hasten, in conclusion, to say one word to you, more particularly with reference to that charity, which is this day brought under your notice. Remember who it is, that gives the precept in the text. We may often have room to doubt respecting the justness of our conclusions; and we may mistake our duty, we may mistake some command; but here there can be no error, there can be no misconception. The language of the text is explicit; and the words are the words of Christ himself—“ All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Observe how large, how comprehensive is this duty-" All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you." As if he was not satisfied with putting it in the strongest way the words can press the duty upon the people, he adds, again, in the last clause of the verse-"Even so do unto them." Now, brethren, let me

The last year, in particular, has been a year of many sorrows to those who have been visited by that pestilence which walketh in darkness; and a year, doubtless, of many mercies to those who are here before me and yet those evils, from which, in mercy, GOD has exempted you, have doubtless fallen with increased power upon those who are the objects of this charity. Gladden, then, their hearts out of your superfluity: or rather (for I would not appeal to the superfluity, lest it should be thought too low and too worldly a consideration, as in truth it would be)-rather remembering the poor widow, contribute something to your poor brother by acts of selfdenial: that is the true way of obeying Christ's precept. Join alms-giving to your prayers. Surely there is a cause. I am informed, that up to the present time, the expenses of the institution, for reasons which must be obvious to you all, have been greater during the last year than usual. Four hundred and fifty-three cases have been relieved-not during the year, but during the past month only: and since November last one thousand and ninety-two families have been visited,