,SEXi1i. XXY717. .Ä LOVELt' Cï1ICRIXGE, and meditating immortal and .forgiving.love: What un- worthy followers are we Of the blesased Jesus, the Lamb that was slain, when upon every occasion= -we: take fire, andbreak out into an impatient fury ? But ifI should enter upon the last instance of a lovely character, and begin the mention of love, how far beyond all example, and beyond all description, is the love of our Lord Jesus ! How tender were the compassions of his heart!' .How.extensive the benevolence of his soul ! What nieltinglanguage of love dropped from his lips hourly ! And how were his ' mortal' and "immortal powers employed in procuring infinite blessings for sinful glen, in distributing them amongst the rebellious! O that we could learn to think, 'and speak; and act;like our blessed Saviour, whose life and whose death was a rich and various scene ofdivine.and human love! III. l might draw further arguments from the exam- ples and 'from the writings of the apostles and holy men in the primitive days of christianity ; when they were all ofone heart and one sotil, and did every thing to please and serve their' .fellow-chrjstians. I would mention the epistles of St: John ; what a divine spirit of love breathes in them:! But next to our Lord Jesus, I should rather turn your eyes and thoughts to the temper and conduct otiSt. Paul, the greatest of the apostles, and the nearest to Christ: How did be please all men, not seeking; his 'Om). profit, buttheir :salva.tion, even ás'Christ pleasednot Himself ; ; 'Anti he leaves' us his own:example in subor- AinationIxis'Lord, "'Be ye followers of me, even as I also :am 'of Christ, Rom. xv. 1 -3. and give noneoffence, neïther,to,Jew nor gentile;" 1 Cor. x. 32. Who is there sorrowful 'among you, and I sympathize not? Who is weak, 'and I ám not weak ? Who is offended, and I do not share in,,the. pain ? 2 Coi'. xi. 29. I bear and 'endure all :things-,for the elect's sake, that they 'may be saved," 2 Tim. ii. 10. How lovely was his 'beha, 'four in 'all respects.? ': His epistles are full of it, it shines through:every page : Ilis character demands a volume to describe it, all worthy of our imitation and our wonder. Bít . must hasten to the, last motive derived from I and that is the nature and design of the gospel';i:tselE: It is the most lovely of all religions. Wisdom, humility, peace, patience, mee, :ess, modera- W FJ4
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