undue love of the world, and confirming our disposition of submissive obedience to the will of God, is a triumph of Divine grace and an indication of a Christian mind.

But the servant of God may at times have to encounter wicked and contumelious persons, and then the preceding principle of lowliness of spirit must appear in the forgiveness of injuries, which may be considered as including the spirit of the remaining duties of our text, "forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a quarrel against any." Where the fault committed against us is outrageous, we must exercise "forbearance;" where it has proceeded to an open breach, we must endeavor to repair the evil by "forgiveness."

Forbearance is the act of enduring to the utmost the provocations which we may suffer in word or deed. It appears to relate to troubles and difficulties more considerable and bitter than those which are strictly within the reach of meekness and long-suffering. When we are assailed by such greater injuries, we are not immediately to rise to punish the offender, but we must try in the first instance to conquer him by lenity, and to bring him back to a reasonable mind by kindness. We must avoid a hasty judgment and an irritated temper. We must "hope all things." We must show that the offence does not throw us off our guard, and vex and fret our minds; we must proceed to remedial measures, and rather err on the side of delay, than on that of precipitation. "Ye have heard," said our Saviour, "that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, resist not evil;" but "whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."

It is, however, possible that our duty to God may forbid our any longer forbearing another; the injury may occasion an open breach of friendship, and we may be reluctantly compelled to appeal to the protecting arm of authority. We are then called to the exercise of forgiveness, "forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any." More is contained in this than in the former. For a man may possibly bear an injury because he cannot revenge it, or because he judges it inexpedient to do so, though the desire of revenge may still rankle in his heart. The

Apostle, therefore, commands us, not only to endure injuries, but also to eradicate the very desire of revenge from the mind, to love the offender, and to act towards him as if the fault had never been committed. Lawful methods of obtaining security against malicious persons, and of guarding against their assaults, are, indeed, allowed to us. But the disposition to forget and forgive the provocation, however great, and to testify that forgiveness in every way not inconsistent with other duties, is an indispensable command. We are constantly to pray, "Forgive us cur trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us." After delivering the striking parable of the ten thousand talents and the punishment inflicted on the unrelenting servant, our Lord adds, "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother, their trespasses."

The expression, "Forgiving one another," implies that we are all in danger of committing injuries against our neighbor, and that therefore we should exercise that pardon to others which each needs himself by turns: whilst the indefinite statement, “if any man have a quarrel against any," seems designed to guard against those evasions by which we endeavor to evade the real force of the duty. All is here put universally. “If any man,” whoever he may be, whether a relation or a stranger, a superior or inferior" have a quarrel," any cause of complaint on account of an injury done, or supposed to be done, in word or deed"against any," in whatever connection or under whatever circumstances he may stand. It is impossible to escape those general terms. Forgiveness of injuries is a fundamental grace of the Christian character, from the obligation of which nothing can relcase us.

Are, then, these things so? Docs the statement we have been making describe the temper of a Christian? Must he be tender, meck, forgiving? must he be distinguished by compassion when he meets with afflictions, by lowliness of spirit when he is assailed by inconveniences, and by a readiness to forgive when he suffers injuries; must he "put on" these lovely virtues and appear clad in them continually; must he mortify the natural unkindness, pride, and love of revenge which brood in his heart; and must ail this be done habitually and towards all persons? Then, what motives can be proposed sufficient for such a series of duties; of duties so opposite to the corrupt bias of his nature?

This leads me to consider,

II. The Christian motives by which the Apostle enforces these

virtues.

The motives are these: our Christian profession, the love of God, and the forgiving mercy of Christ.

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Their Christian profession is a motive which the Apostle urges on the Colossians, in the first words of our text, " Put on, therefore." This has the force of an inference. The Apostle had been speaking of Christians being "risen with Christ," of their "setting their affections on things above," of their "being dead, and their life being hid with Christ in God," and of their future" "appearing with him in glory." He had just stated to them that "the wrath of God came on the children of disobedience" for those things in which they had lived before their conversion; and had reminded them that they had "put off the old man with his deeds, and had put on the new man, where Christ was all in all." Hence he draws the conclusion, "Put on therefore bowels of mercies." He thus urges them to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called," to act agreeably to the new privileges they enjoyed, and the new and heavenly birth they participated. As they had "put" on the new man which was renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him, it became them to put on more and more all the properties of it. Thus only could they prove the sincerity of their Christian profession, and adorn and recommend the doctrine of their Saviour: whilst, if they walked in the lusts of the flesh, and indulged in apathy, selfishness, fretfulness, and revenge, they would appear to be "children of disobedience," and justly suffer that unutterable punishment which such hypocrisy would deserve.

But besides this general motive, the Apostle insinuates another in the affectionate terms in which he addresses them. He calls them the clect of God, holy and beloved. This is to prepare for the exhortation, and is an argument why the particular graces to which it relates are to be exercised. It is drawn from the love of God. This is the bond of obedience; and the three blessings which the terms before us comprehend, as they all refer to Divine love, are powerful inducements and motives to every part of holiness.

For if we can humbly hope that we are the elect of God, and that he has "chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the VOL. II.-72

world;" to what has he so chosen us, but that we "should be holy and without blame before Him in love?" If we, on scriptural evidences, "know our election of God;" what are those evidences but our "work of faith, and labor of love, and patience, of hope?” If we indulge any trust that we are "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father;" is it not "through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience?" If we would "make our calling and election sure;" is it not by "giving all diligence to add to our faith, virtue, and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness godliness?" "For the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his;" and "Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." Those, therefore, who profess a hope of being the "elect of God," are especially and urgently exhorted to the practice of those virtues which are the proofs of that blessing, the effects which it produces, and the suitable and indispensable marks of God for it.

This is still more evident by the expressions, "holy and beloved," which are connected with it. These describe the character and privilege of those whom the Apostle had just named "the elect of God:" they are set apart for His service, and they are blessed with the tokens of his peculiar favor. They are holy, being made so by the operations of the Holy Ghost. They are "renewed in the spirit of their minds. They yield themselves unto God as alive from the dead, and their members as instruments of righteousness unto God." They aim at being "holy in all manner of conversation." They are far from being entirely free from sin, but they are carnestly engaged in "cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." To put on, therefore, the Christian graces of compassion, lowliness of mind, and forgiveness, is a duty which by virtue of their character, and their actual state of separation to God, they should feel themselves bound both to remember and to practice.

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Nor does the special favor of God by which they are distinguished, less powerfully impel them in the same course. They arc beloved. God bears a most tender love towards them. so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting

life;" "God is love." But this is not all. "For after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared, not by works of righteousness which they had done, but according to his mercy, he saved them by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." "Behold," then, “what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on them that they should be called the sons of God!" Now it surely behooves them who are beloved, to love God in return: surely they will love him, because he first loved them; "and if we love Him, we shall keep his commandments; for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments." It becomes, also, those who are beloved, to conform themselves to the image of the God who loves them. We are to be "followers of God" as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us. And if the love of God be a powerful motive to every part of Christian practice, there is yet something more appropriate in the Apostles' arguing from it the particular graces which we have been considering; those tender and meck, and forgiving dispositions, which are the very impress of God, the mark of his mercy, the fruit and evidence of the compassion we have experienced ourselves, the peculiar duty of such unworthy, frail, sinful, and yet, by Divine pity, distinguished and beloved objects of forbearance and grace. Surely if any temper should characterize those who owe every thing to God's love, and who are still indebted to it daily, it must be some faint imitation of that love in their conduct towards others.

This the Apostle lastly enforces by the consideration of the forgiving mercy of Christ, "Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." The example of Christ has the force of an argument to persuade, and of a rule to direct. Has Christ freely and graciously forgiven us-forgiven us so many trespasses-forgiven us at a price so inestimable as his own blood-forgiven us with such overflowing affection; and shall we not forgive the comparatively trifling offences of our fellow-creatures? Did he endure the contradiction of sinners, did he bear the reproach, did he suffer ignominy, did he agonize in the garden of Gethsemane, and expire upon the cross, and all from mere mercy, all in our stead; for our redemption, our pardon, our admission to the Divine favor, our rescue, our salvation; and shall we not be compassionate to the wretched, meek to the froward, and forgiving to the injurious?

If we pretend the greatness of the crime committed against us,