thinking of when he so wrote. We can see that Jesus Christ is here, as throughout the Epistle, the model and example on which St. Paul's whole teaching is framed. And truly it is in Christ, and in Christ alone that these high qualities have ever been perfectly realized. How fully realized let the Gospel show. Look to the record there of our blessed Lord's life-to what is told us of the meekness and gentleness of Christ.

Surely there never was on this earth of ours, in human form, and there never will be again, till He return, One so merciful, so kind, so humble, so meek, so patient under wrong, as Jesus was!

But this Jesus is our Master. If a Christian means anything it means a follower of Christ. It means that we not only call ourselves by His sacred name, but that we are conformed to His likeness-that we have the same mind in us that was in Him-that we try, in all our intercourse with one another, in word and deed, to be as He was in the world.

O that we remembered this! O that we gave more heed to the exhortation before us, and did indeed put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering! For these are qualities by which we are to be distinguished from an unbelieving world. By seeing these things in us shall all men know that we are in very truth His disciples.

But further. The Apostle goes on to speak of other qualities which, no less than those first mentioned, are essential to the formation of the Christian characterand these are forbearance, and forgiveness. Forbearing

and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any. Forbearing and forgiving-what call have we daily for the exercise of both these graces! How few heed the call! What little forbearance there is amongst us! What a small measure of forgiveness do we, for the most part deal out to one another!

You will sometimes hear people say that they will never forgive―never be friends any more with the man who has affronted them. You will sometimes hear them promise themselves revenge-say-" Well-my opportunity will come, and then";

But surely this is most shocking; surely such sentiments are far enough from your own hearts. Surely you know that to cherish an unforgiving spirit-much more to cherish a revengeful spirit-is most unchristian. A man cannot have learnt the very first principles of our religion who does it.

of

I do not say that we can help feeling resentment when we are injured, It is natural to wish, at the first smart wrong, to repay the doer of it. But woe to us if we harbour that feeling long! Woe to us if we nurse our resentment, and whet our appetite for revenge by brooding on the injury we may have received!

Such conduct is marked, in the strongest way, with our Lord's displeasure. Both in parables and by direct precept He has forbidden it. His rule is the rule we are bound to follow-Do good to them that despitefully use you-forgive from your heart every one his brother their trespasses.

Nor ought we to find it hard thus to exercise forgive

ness.

For mark the motive by which this duty is recommended to us-Even as Christ forgave you, so also

do ye.

Let the unforgiving man-if there be such an one present here-learn these words by heart-even as Christ forgave you. You yourself, then, have stood in need of mercy-you yourself have been a wrong doer. In ways unnumbered you have provoked the anger of the Almighty-broken His laws-set at nought His appointments-gone contrary to His expressed will—and yet what has happened to you? Has God been extreme to mark what you have done amiss? Have you been summoned to give satisfaction to Him for your multiplied offences? Has He avenged on you the injury done to His violated law?

No-but He has Himself sought out a way by which He might return you good for evil. He has reconciled you to Himself in Christ Jesus. Satisfied with His Son's righteousness, He has turned His face from your sins. At the first cry of your penitent spirit-Father forgive— Christ has died-the bond has been cancelled, and He has made you accepted in the beloved!

Can such an argument for forgiveness be resisted ? Shall it not blunt the edge of angry feelings in all our hearts? God, for Christ's dear sake, forgive us all trespasses.—All He asks-the one condition of our pardon, is that we go and deal likewise with one another-even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

The next verse exhorts us to charity-And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Charity is with St. Paul the highest Christian virtue— the bond of all the rest that which is greater than faith-greater than hope-which alone never faileth. The full description of it will come before us in the Epistle for Quinquagesima Sunday. Till then I would leave so great a subject-only reminding you, brethren, of the Apostle's repeated assertion that if we have not charity we are nothing.

From charity it is an easy step to speak of peace Let the peace of God rule in your heart, to the which also ye are called in one body.

Yes-we are called to peace and harmony, and that in one body. This is ever the Scripture notion of a Christian society-a variety of members in one accordant body : bound together in love, helping and being helped by one another.

But to dwell on this now, as it ought to be dwelt upon, would detain you too long, and there is yet much to notice in the Epistle. Let us proceed, then, to the next part of the Apostle's exhortation.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

What a picture of the early Church is here presented to us! What a guide to Christians now!

The word of Christ should dwell in us richly-i. e., we should have our minds well stored with the Lord's words: have them so by heart, as to be able to bring them out at all times for the ruling of our life. I do

not mean that we should be always quoting the sayings of Christ in the Gospel, but that we should know them well, and ponder them often, and apply them silently as the test of our conduct and conversation. Christ's word dwells in a man, I conceive, when he is ordered and ruled by it; when it has authority over his words and deeds, yea, and his very thoughts.

But more. Not only should Christ's word dwell in us -but we should speak it to edification. We should, at proper times and in proper places, teach and admonish one another. We should seek to strengthen one another for our duty by studying God's word together. We should unite, for the work of prayer and praise-in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs: we should shew forth our joy, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord.

And when, brethren, can we carry out this part of St. Paul's advice, better than when assembled here in church? The singing is now an essential element in our service. It holds a more important part than it used to do—and heartily do I rejoice at this. Religion never appears so attractive as when it engages the voices ind the hearts of a large congregation in the accordant utterance of God's praise. No employment comes so near to that which, we are told, will be the ceaseless occupation of the saints in Heaven. Well and often are we urged to this work by him who excelled all others in it :-O sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving-sing praises upon the harp unto our God—sing we merrily unto God onr strength, make a cheerful noise unto the God of Jacob.-0