a view of Him, in his priestly character be to your hearts! You have nothing to bring of your own, except as He freely gives Himself unto you, and nothing to offer, as a propitiation unto God for sin. Let it then be dear to you, to see Jesus, having completed his work of redemption upon earth, now going as the Priest, the Sacrificer, the Intercessor, into heaven, there to appear in the presence of God for you. "Come boldly to the throne of grace, that you may obtain mercy, and find grace to help, in time of need." The angel of the covenant doeth wondrously, as He ascends towards heaven, from off the altar, in the flame of the altar. It is for you to look on, like Manoah and his wife; to admire and adore the riches of divine grace; and to know, that, both in sacrifice and intercession, "Christ is all and in all."

"

And now, my brethren, this conduct of our dear Lord and Saviour, dear as the Lord, and dear as the Saviour, to you

who believe, will surely teach us a gracious lesson of that love which the professing servants of God, are so imperatively bound (and yet alas! are so mournfully slow) to learn. Look to Jesus praying for his enemies," Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Look to Stephen, a man full of the Holy Ghost, full of the Spirit of his Redeemer's love, thus pleading for those who stoned Him,

Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And will not these views of what was the mind of your Lord, exemplified by Himself, and by the first martyr, who was one in spirit, and one in gracious bonds with Him, unite your hearts in love and prayer for the enemies of his cross? Hear Him say, "Love your enemies; bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father, which is in heaven : and see Him exemplify his own precept by pleading for his executioners.

Lastly, Ask your own hearts, what should be the temper of a child of God, towards all men, and especially towards those, who are persecuting Christ, either in his members, or directly, by unbelief, continuance in sin, hatred of free salvation in the Redeemer's cross and righteousness, or any other manner, in which rebellious men do the office of the Jews who crucified Him? That goodness,' as one who had deeply studied the gospel, hath wisely said,1 cannot be genuine and upright, which depends upon the goodness of others, and is exercised only as they deserve it.' If our meekness or charity be such, only, or mainly, as lies in the good and meek carriage of others towards us, in their hands and tongues, we are not intrinsically its owners, nor is it a gracious habit in us. It is the accidental quiet of an unstirred spirit; move it, and the bitterness that has only subsided to the bottom, for lack of

1 Abp. Leighton.

agitation, will diffuse itself through the whole heart and man. But when the fragrant name of Jesus is poured out upon the heart -when it knows its own sin, and knows something of the free grace of atonement in the Lord-when it feels that the Saviour hath spoken pardon to it; and, instead of the curse due to sin, hath blessed it with a title to glory, in the righteousness of God, it should not only pardon every injury, but pray for the inflicter of it. Be much in intercession then, for those who "know not what they do?" from whose spiritual view Christ Jesus is deeply shrouded by ignorance, by the love of sin and by unbelief. Plead their cause with God. They know not what they do. And, as, when the Saviour's agony was the heaviest, He sought the salvation of his enemies; so, when the dishonour which sinners may now do to Him presses most painfully upon your hearts, or their opposition to you, as followers of the persecuted Lamb of God is most active, then

:

bring them on your hearts before the throne of grace. Take advantage of the open door,-opened into the holiest, by the blood of Christ and leave not the throne, until you have laid their case before the Father, and earnestly besought the Spirit to apply the blood of sprinkling to their souls. Abound in this duty. "Be ye kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you." You cannot pray for yourselves, as you ought, if you pray only for yourselves. And what you pray, that God would do in them, endeavour, in your measure, to do for them, by labouring to bring them, in faith, to the cross, as God may give your work of love acceptance in their hearts. "Be not overcome of evil; but overcome evil with good."