and, in the true spirit of Christian lowliness, would "each esteem other better than himself," how would brother accord with brother, and man with man; how would brethren dwell together in unity, and Christians take sweet counsel together, and walk in the house of God as friends; how would nation cease to rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; whilst mutual forbearance should pave the way for mutual and universal harmony, and peace should flourish out of the earth, and righteousness should look down from heaven! First, the pride of the devil, and then the pride of man, rendered a Redeemer necessary for the salvation of the world. He came, and wrought salvation by humility; and left a lesson to be learned by his disciples. O might the example be copied! O might the precept be observed by those who call themselves by the name of Christ the angelic hymn should then be realised by the promotion of "God's glory in the highest, of peace on earth, of good will among men."

Lastly, Is pride hateful in the sight of God? What is more pleasing to him than humility?" He resisteth the proud: but he giveth grace to the humble." Infinitely as he is exalted above the things of earth, and incapable of being contained by the heaven and heaven of heavens, he vouchsafes to visit the lowly man with his especial favour, and to choose him for his peculiar dwelling-place. "For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite

and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."* "Before honour," saith the wise king, "is humility." And what honour is to be compared with that which is attributed to the humble man, to have the Lord continually nigh unto him, to be watched over by the Most Highest, to be blessed with special visitations of grace and mercy from above!

And now, my brethren, having set before you two opposite qualities, not perhaps in the colours in which mankind in general survey them, but in those which I apprehend are given to them by the Scriptures of truth, I here leave them for your consideration. It is for you, for each and all of you, to choose between that quality which cast the devil and his angels into hell, and that which hath preserved the angels of God in heaven; between that which wrought the disobedience of Adam, and that which was perfected in the sacrifice of Christ; between that which still reigns in the children of disobedience, the servants of the devil, and that which distinguishes the faithful follower of the meek and lowly Jesus; between that which propagates dissensions and misery among mankind, and that which for dissension and misery introduces happiness and peace; between that which is rejected by the Almighty with abhorrence, and that which is fostered by him with distinguished love.

If these things be true, and the word of God teaches me to believe that they are so, no man, at

* Isa. lvii. 15.

least no reasonable man, can hesitate in his choice. It is in fact equivalent with the choice which Moses by command of God proposed to the Israelites, "Behold, I set before you this day good and evil, life and death, a blessing and a curse." Be ye therefore clothed with humility, my brethren. "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God: and be ye all subject one to another." Let humility towards God prompt you to fear God, and to keep his commandments with unqualified obedience; to pray to him, to praise him, and to thank him for all his blessings; to put your trust in his mercy for salvation through the precious blood-shedding of his Son to rely for grace to serve and please him on the sanctifying influence of his Holy Spirit. Let your humility towards each other prompt you to "love as brethren :" "in lowliness of mind each to esteem other better than himself:" to "forbear one another in love:" to "endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Copy, in a word, the humility of your Saviour; and be encouraged and supported by the hope of receiving some measure of his reward. For the exceeding great humility, which he manifested in taking upon himself the human nature, and suffering therein for the sins of men, "God highly exalted him" in the same nature," and gave him a name which is above every name;" and of those who follow after his great humility, we are infallibly assured, that God will visit them with his favour here, and make them partakers of his exaltation hereafter.

Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection, through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord: To whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory for ever. Amen.

ON SPIRITUAL PRIDE.

LUKE, vi. 41, 42.

Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite

THE character of our blessed Lord was distinguished for its mildness and gentleness; and the reproofs, which he directed against the sinner, generally partook of these his characteristic qualities. There was however a particular order of men amongst the Jews, in his censures of whom he appears to have departed from this general spirit of forbearance, and to have condemned them with unmixed severity of manner and of language. In his conduct towards other persons he mingled mercy with justice; he did not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax :" but upon the Pharisees he poured out the vials of his hottest displeasure and indignation. He called them, as his messenger had done before," serpents and a generation of vipers*;" he charged them with folly and volun

*Matt. xxiii. 33.