with him: lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. These last expressions allude apparently to the parable of the unforgiving servant, who had cast his fellow-servant into prison, after he had himself been forgiven of his lord. The words derive light and strength from that parable. But the peculiar injunction, like so many of our Lord's warnings, has reference to the shortness of the time of our probation. "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath," says the Apostle, "neither give place to the devil." And here the adversary gains his strength and power from the forgiveness being delayed. It is like sleeping with a deadly serpent coiled up within the bosom, not knowing at any time when he may inflict the mortal sting. Indeed, anger and malice are of the nature of deadly sins; nor do we know how near they may be to murder in the heart, as they appear in the sight of God. St. John assures us, that "he that hateth his brother is a murderer."

And here may be added one word in illustration, from the Old Testament Lessons, which our Church has appointed for this Sunday. Where is there a more touching account of forgiveness and love than in David, the man after God's own heart? How often did he forgive Saul? how did he spare his life, do all that he could to alleviate, to pacify, to win him over to love? how did he lament over him when dead, and remember his family afterwards? how patient and forgiving unto Shimei that cursed him? And his love for Absalom, when in

6 St. Matt. xviii. 34.

7 Eph. iv. 26.

arms against him and seeking his life, seems recorded as an image of our Blessed Saviour's love for His murderers. Why else is there twice mentioned his exceedingly affecting cry, "O Absalom, my son, my son!" In that we hear our Saviour's own voice; it is like that of God's own love: "Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore my bowels are troubled for him." Yet even David, such as he was, so loving, so forgiving, harboured an evil thought till he was guilty of murder. Who then has not reason to fear, lest he should tempt God?

But we have a better strength, and far more light than David had. Anger and hate are always in the heart closely connected with some other evil passion; lust and hate are inseparable companions; and so are malice and covetousness; they were woven into one and the same cord in the heart of Judas, by which Satan held him; so are pride and anger, they are never found apart. And therefore, blessed be God for His great deliverance! all these passions are in us to be mortified and buried with Christ; and if lust, and covetousness, and pride, be away, anger will have nothing to feed on, and will of itself be extinguished.

"Take My yoke upon you," is our Blessed Lord's own invitation," and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Shall find

rest;" shall find the true Sabbath, the Sabbath of rest in Christ, rest in His grave, from our evil passions being buried there. "Know ye not that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into His death?

8 Jer. xxxi. 20.

Therefore we are buried with Him in Baptism unto death." And then if we be dead with Christ, to live with Him will be easy, for He will raise us up by the same Spirit, and we shall live with Him; live with Him even now, and not know the death of the grave to be death at all.

What we have to do then is, to be conformable to Him, to learn of Him His love, to learn to love Him, in order that by so doing we may learn to love others with something of that love with which He does. The love of Christ let this then be your one great business in life, nay, your one and only business; let every day be considered by you as a lost day which has not done something to further this one end. As a man, who has great and important business to attend to at a distance, must travel whether it be rain or sunshine; whether he meets with convenient modes of being conveyed forward, or those of labour and difficulty on foot; whether he has to pursue his journey in company or alone; so with this one end in view, let your days be, in the sunshine of life, or under its clouds, under all varieties of circumstance let this one end be advanced, be always thought of and considered. If you meet with success, let it further in you the love of Christ by some sacrifice; if you have trouble, by strong definite acts of resignation; let all things have a reference to His Cross and Passion; if you are with a friend who sympathizes with you, be as the two going to Emmaus, let Him make one with you and constrain Him; if you have an enemy, this is an opportunity not to be delayed or foregone; if in public prayer, then take care that it be an act of union with Christ, spiritual worship to the Eye of Him that seeth in secret; if you have leisure and solitude, be sure not to lose the time,-He is then especially waiting to draw near to you. But above all, on every

opportunity of approaching His altar, make the most of it by thorough forgiveness of injuries "from the heart," by entire repentance, and love unfeigned; so may we, "loving Him above all things, obtain" His gracious "promises."

But remember, it is a work to be done, a gift to be gained by importunity.

SERMON LIV.

The Seventh Sunday after Trinity.

Rom. vi. 19-23. St. Mark viii. 1-9.

THE BREAD WHICH GOD GIVETH.

But seek ye first the Kingdom of GOD, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.-ST. MATT. vi. 33.

THE Collect and the Gospel being on this as on other

Sundays during this season found together in ancient books, may be considered as both illustrating and enforcing each other; but it is not so with the Epistle, which is but a continuation of that for last Sunday, and seems to be carrying on the same subject. St. Paul had therein been speaking, in expressions very sublime and heavenly, of the new state into which we are brought by Baptism, being dead with Christ, and having from henceforth in Him a Divine life. To-day he proceeds in a lower strain to urge the same upon these Roman converts, appealing to their human reason on the great advantages of a religious life over that which is worldly and sinful.

I speak, he says, after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of your flesh. If ye are as yet unable to appreciate arguments drawn from the love of God, and from