tribution to the relief of the necessities of those who claim our kindness. The due portion to be set apart for this service is to be fixed by the application of the same simple rule. If we would earn the commendation of the text, we must advance to the boundary line of our ability; and the principle of self-denial must form an essential element of the benevolence to be exercised. It is very possible for a person to give largely and ungrudgingly, from the ample revenues of which he is the steward, and yet there may be no interminglement of the principle of Christian charity. He gives out of his abundance, he bestows of that which remains over and above, when the demands of self gratification have been all satisfied. It is not until the trappings of pride have been curtailed, and costly indulgences, such, for instance, as those of the table or of the equipage, brought within limits of moderate expenditure, that we dare in any degree take to ourselves the high praise that we have done what we were able. Not only may luxuries be pared down, and superfluities retrenched, in order that we may furnish larger aid to those who need our help; but it will be only a still farther application of the principle of Gospel kindness if we take from the comforts with the enjoyment of which long use may be made as familiar; and thus the rule will be brought into operation in lower and lower grades of society, until it comes to pass among us, as among those of apostolic times, that there are some who give out of their deep poverty for the service of others on whom yet harder necessity may lie. 1 In determining the measure of your ability, and consequently the amount of your duty, be careful to extenuate neither the one nor the other. Use the balance of the sanctuary. Let it not be, on any occasion of benevolence, the enquiry among professing christians, how little they may do without injuring their credit, but how much they may do consistently with other claims. If you possess what your hearts have coveted, and if the measure of your prosperity is filled, while the petition of your poorer brother remains un¬ answered and uncared for, it will lie with the weight of heavy condemnation at the great day. I would. tell you, in the broadest terms, that salvation is altogether of grace, it is purchased for believers by the blood of Jesus, and is neither to be secured nor advanced by greatness of effort, nor lavishness of bestowal; yet we know that in the final reckoning these things will not be forgotten, since Christ has himself told us that the feeding, and clothing, and visiting his people, shall be acknowledged as service rendered to himself; and. that lack of kindness to the members will be taken as proof that love was wanting to Him who is their head. But I proceed to the consideration of the matter, which, in conclusion, I desire to commend, as one of special interest, to your attention. Some time since it was proposed by christian persons in this neighbourhood to erect alms-houses, for the refuge. of those of the Lord's people who had long been tried, and tempesttossed in the world, and who were now seeking a place of shelter, in which they might spend the short remnant of their days. And alınshouses were built, in which, at this time, I believe, twenty-nine very aged christians have found a resting place. But in the accomplishment of this design a debt has been incurred, the amount of which is not yet liquidated, and so long as any portion of that debt remains, the poor aged inmates of these houses are prevented from receiving the full benefit which would otherwise accrue to them. And it has been proposed to appeal (I am sure we shall not. appeal in vain) to the sympathy of of christians; and to ask them to come forward and give according to their ability, to this, which, we doubt not, is a work of the Lord. And, now.. I would use but few and simple arguments to persuade you in this matter. because I am sure that, in such a case, you need not much persuasion. It is the injunction of an apostle, "do good unto all men, but especially unto such as are of the household of faith." We cannot look on a human creature, whatever be the latitude of his dwelling place or the colour of his skin, but we look on a brother; he was formed by the same hand, he is heir to the same infirmities with ourselves. But if there be this universal brotherhood which binds us to all our kind, let us remember that grace has not only brought us into a nearness and intimacy of connection with God, as our father, but also into a special relationship to all the family of his people, in a new and emphatic sense. They may have been divided from each other by the locality of their homes, but they can never meet as strangers. Their trials and their strength, their persecutions and their deliverances, their conflicts and their hopes, are the same; they have the same foes to encounter, and the same everlasting Friend as their refuge. They bear alike the character of separation from the world. The Lord Jesus has fetched them in from the wilderness region in which they once wandered, and has given them to partake of the provision of his own house. It is their common testimony that they were once aliens and strangers, but grace has brought them nigh and made them fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. They may be a poor, persecuted, despised people, whom the world little regards, yet the Saviour has purchased them with his own blood, and has by his sacrifice stamped upon them an eternal value. They may be the poorest of the poor, their dwelling but the mud walled cottage, their daily toil the severest and the most exhausting, their daily provision the scantiest; they may be undefended from inclement skies, and when they lay the weary limbs to rest, the piercing cold may drive sleep from their eye-lids; and yet they are neither forgotten nor forsaken. Though they may seem to sit, like Bartimæus of old, by the way-side of life unregarded, yet Christ looks on them, and is fitting them for his own kingdom. Though they have no stake in the possessions of this world, they have an estate in reversion, the title deeds of their inheritance are in the book of GOD, and the purchase money was paid upon Mount Calvary. They are following out their appointed pathway, and though it may lie through distresses and difficulties almost unimagined by us, yet it is leading to their home and ours. “And i when they reach it, their voices shall be mingled in the song of those who have been redeemed from the earth, and brought within the borders of the kingdom of glory; and the ties of relationship by which they are t united to Christ as the brother born for adversity, though by us it may have been unregarded, will then be recognised in the presence of men and angels. Now, consider, I bel seech you, whether it will not then, at least, if not now, seem to be an ill and thankless requital of the Redeemer's love to our souls, that wel would not minister to the necessities! of his people, that our ears weren closed and our hearts turned into stone against their supplication. And, in truth, there are many among those whom we pass by unheeded, from whose lips we might, I believe, learn precious lessons of Christian faith. There is many an one, I be-> lieve, at whose feet we shall be glad to sit when we come into the king-s dom of the Lamb,-many an one of GOD's despised and unfriended poor who shall be a shining jewel for ever in the mediatorial crown of Christ. These aged persons for whom I plead, and I would plead with you most earnestly, are going down too their graves; a few more steps and they will be beyond the reach of your sympathy and your kindness; they have borne the tempests of life, they have endured many trials, they have passed many days of weariness and want and woe, yet a little while and they shall be in their everlastinge home, they shall need human pity and benevolence no more; yet while they are among us, while their foot-! steps yet linger here, oh! let us minister what we may to their comfort; let us do what we can to smooth the path that leads to the place appointed for all living, they belong to the Lord, and to help them in their need is not so much a duty to be enforced as a privilege to be enjoyed. But, in truth, no argument, though pressed with tenfold power and ur There is one consideration in re-work on earth. The institution which spect to institutions such as this, I commend to you has this claim which commends itself to my own upon your support. It was founded mind, and may perhaps commend by brethren of various religious itself to yours. I mean the tendency names, and it ministers its help to the which they have to unite together poor, in whatever community of bepersons who have attached them- lievers they have been used to worselves to various sections of the church ship GOD. I feel that this argument of Christ; who, while they differ on will fall with all its power of persuasome points of opinion, hold fast the sion, on you who have learned many great principles of their common lessons of kindness and forbearance, faith. It is no new device of Satan from him who during so long a period to separate and break up into frag- preached Christ among you, and ments the united force of the army strove by every means to heal the of God's people, which threatened divisions of his church. destruction to his kingdom; and he would now as he has ever done, sow jealousies and divisions, by which bro-gency, could avail, if the considerather may be alienated from brother, and disunion be brought to the council table, and confusion into the camp, while the powerful and subtle foe presses forward his purpose of destruction. He would have churchman armed against dissenter, and dissenter against churchman in a conflict of deadly controversy, lest they should join their forces to oppose the common enemy who beleaguers our Zion. Let it be our prayer and our unceasing effort to defeat the design; and while we are pressing forward to the mark for the prize of our high calling, let us look around for another and another spot on which we may carry out, in unitedness of purpose, the principles of our common christianity; where we may strengthen each other's hands, and cheer each other's hearts, while we devote ourselves to do our Master's tion of what the Lord has done for your souls, should be ineffectual. There is laid upon you a mighty burden of obligation. When you were rebellious and defying, love subdued the enmity of the carnal mind, and reconciled you to GoD; and his love hath never failed you, it hath been your guide and your guardian, and led you every step of your way; in the season of sorrow it hath been your balm and consolation; and it hath given all their brightness to your happiest days. It is my heart's desire for you that you may give yourselves to Him, who hath the right to all you are, all you have; and who has promised that the memorial of what you do for Him, shall remain, and that not even the cup of cold water given to a poor disciple, because he belongs to Jesus, shall lose its reward. A Sermon, DELIVERED BY THE REV. C. BENSON, AT THE TEMPLE CHURCH, NOVEMBER 17, 1833. Leviticus, xix. 2.-" Speak unto all the generation of the children of Israel; and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy." ONE single commandment is here | GoD is holy." For our blessed Saaddressed to the whole people of viour, and his apostles, have both GOD-holiness is required of them taught us, in the most unequivocal all. There is no distinction of rank language, that this revelation to Moallowed, nor any respect of persons ses was not intended to be confined made; there is no favour shown to to the people to whom it was originally sex, nor allowance for poverty, nor addressed, nor limited, in its applipalliation granted for riches; there cation, by the existence of the Jewish is no abatement made either for la- covenant; for the Lord hath combour or for learning, but whether manded us, in his Gospel, to "be we be employed in the works of the perfect even as our Father, who is hand or of the head-whether we be in heaven, is perfect;" and St. Peter, occupied in the cultivation of the adopting not only the spirit, but also earth or of the understanding-whe- the very terms of the Mosaic revelather we be employed in governing tion, instructs us, that as he who or beginning to obey, still the voice hath called us is holy, so ought we of God's prophet is required to be also to be holy in all manner of consounded in the ears of the whole body versation, because it is written in the of God's people. "The Lord spake text, be ye holy, for I am holy." unto Moses, saying; Speak unto The commandment, then, and the all the generation of the children of ground of the commandment belong Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall equally to both covenants and to be holy; for I the Lord your God every age; and Christians as well as am holy." Jews are bound by its requisitions. To all the congregation he is required to say the same thing-"speak unto all, and say unto all, ye shall be holy;" and upon all the congregation he is required to enforce the same reason and the same demand of holiness-" speak and say unto them all, ye shall be holy; for the Lord your God is holy." Ye, my brethren, like these children of Israel, are a congregation of the Lord. We, however unworthy to be reckoned in the same order of beings to which Moses belonged, yet stand towards you in the capacity of one who is to declare to you counsel of the Lord." We are by virtue of the very terms of this injunction, therefore, called on by the Lord, in his name, to speak unto all the congregation, and say unto them, ye shall be holy, for the Lord your 66 66 Having thus seen that the command of the text is alike applicable to the Christian and the Jew, I will now endeavour, by GoD's help, TO EXPLAIN TO YOU THE MEANING, AND POINT OUT QUIRED. I will then proceed To LAY BEFORE YOU THE NATURE OF THAT MANDS. First, let us endeavour TO EXPLAIN THE MEANING, AND POINT OUT THE FORCE OF THAT REASON FOR WHICH "the HOLINESS IS SO UNIVERSALLY ENJOINED. "Ye shall be holy; for the Lord your GOD is holy." And so, GoD's holiness is made the motive for ours. And why? It is God that made us-it is GOD that preserves us-it is the same Gop also, that hath made and preserved every other being and thing, and that rules over all with a resistless sway; for he is the Lord God Almighty, and he can, therefore, make us happy or miserable, slay or defend us according as his good pleasure wills, or his wrath prompts. By the very attribute of his infinite power he has an unbounded dominion over the whole fabric of the universe, and can make it as immediately and as effectually subservient to his will as to fill the hearts of those that please him with all manner of delight, and to visit them that offend him with the dread of vengeance in its most fearful forms. wishes of all men. In the attribute of his universal presence he is ever about our path, and above our head; and in the attribute of all knowledge he spieth out all our ways, and there is not a word on our tongue but he knoweth it altogether, neither is there an imagination in the heart that he does not understand long before. Here we have a picture of that Almighty being whom the text proposes to us as a motive to holiness; and who is there, either on earth or in heaven, whom it can be more our duty, or more our interest to please? To our fathers, according to the flesh, Such is the strength and greatness we deem a reverence and a desire to of that God whom we adore; and please, a filial duty, because under were this strength and greatness di- providence they have been the source rected in its operations, directed by of our being, and the authors of our the dictates of a capricious mind, we present powers; how much more then mortals, were of all creatures the should we deem a reverence and a most miserable; for then we could desire to please Him, to be due to neither know what, or when, we ought Him, who is the very Father of our to fear, or in what manner to attain spirits, to whom, by virtue of his the Almighty's blessing, or to escape voluntary creation both of our souls the sorrows of eternal suffering. If and bodies, we owe our life, our GOD were, like man, governed by the breath, our hopes, our enjoyments, impluse of uncertain affections and and all things. If, again, a regard wayward feelings, then should we be to our temporal welfare teaches us to at a loss to decide, whether he would conciliate those who are our temporal 'approve to-morrow what he has ap- rulers, because they are able to confer proved to-day; and we should thus upon us much earthly happiness, or be tormented by a continual doubt inflict upon us much earthly sufferwith regard to the conduct which our ing, surely, a regard to our eternal interests even required us to pursue. welfare will still more powerfully But happily, both for our comfort, induce us to conciliate that Almighty and our righteousness, GOD is as un- ruler of the universe, whose power, changeable in nature as he is infinite if offended, can make us to dwell in power, and will, therefore, act to- with everlasting burnings, and whose wards us in one uniform and con- mercy, if we please him, can confer on sistent manner. "With him there us a weight of everlasting blessedness. is neither variableness nor shadow If we seek, therefore, to be blessed of turning" the same things will by our Gop, to endeavour to please always please him; and it will al-him must be the first effort of our ways be the decree of his unalterable justice or mercy, to crown with happiness or to curse with misery, those beings whom he knows to be such as his righteousness approves or condemns. Neither can we entertain a suspicion of GoD's being ignorant with regard to the real character of our disposition and conduct; for "all things are naked and open unto him with whom we have to do;" and he is exactly and universally acquainted with the words, the works, and the lives; and to learn in what manner we can please him, must be the first inquiry of our understandings. Now, when we turn our attention to mere human beings, there is nothing more difficult than to discover the mode in which we must act, so as to render ourselves acceptable in their sight. Two things, doubtless, we must do to please them; either we must obey the precepts they express, or we must follow the conduct they pursue. Now the principles, and the |