through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies; for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers; for thy testimonies are my meditation. I hate vain thoughts; but thy law do I love."* as much of Scripture as you can: read a little of it as often as you can: keep upon your thoughts what you do read, the more the better; and strive to make the most of the Lord's day. And thus, through the blessing of God, you shall be sanctified more and more, and be enabled to keep your thoughts, your tongues, and your hands from mischief, in the only way in which they can be kept; namely, by employing them all in what is right and good.-Habits of prayer and familiarity with God's word, will furnish you with good materials both for reflection and conversation, and with ample incitements to charitable and godly deeds. But be sure, there is no way to cease from doing evil, but by learning to do well. If " ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness."†

387

SERMON ΧΙΧ.

CHRISTIAN UNITY.

PSALM exxxiii. 1, 2, 3.

" Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

"It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments:

"As the dew of Hermon; and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded his blessing and life for evermore."

It is not very material to determine the precise ocsasion upon which this beautiful Psalm was written; perhaps it was composed soon after David's authority had been established over the whole of the twelve tribes, when great advantage must have accrued to the kingdom, from the extinction of party-spirit and divisions. Or it may refer to the history recorded in the 19th chapter of the second book of Samuel"when there was no other strife in all Israel, than who should be most forward in returning to their allegiance: and the children of Judah also were inclined as one man, to bring back David to his kingdom from which his son Absalom had driven him." *

Be this, however, as it may, the meaning of the Psalm itself is manifest. The thing held up to our admiration in it, is brotherly love and unity; and the excellency of this good " fruit of the Spirit" is illustrated by two exquisite similitudes. It is compared first, to the holy anointing oil which being poured upon the head of God's high priest, ran down to the skirts of his garments, and secondly, to the dew from heaven which fell upon the mountains of Zion. It is a grace fertilizing and beneficial, as well as admirable and lovely. And then, wheresoever it is found, there is God's blessing to accompany it. For where this dew is said to fall, "there" (it is added) "the Lord commanded his blessing and life for evermore."

The words give me occasion to discourse of the advantages of three several sorts of unity, * Bp. Patrick.

and of the means of preserving and maintain

ing them.

Namely :

I. First, of unity in families.

II. Secondly, of unity in neighbourhoods.

III. Thirdly, of unity in the church, or among Christian people as such.

I. And first, of unity in families.

There is a saying greatly perverted and abused among us, and by which people are accustomed oftentimes to apologize for their own selfishness-that Charity begins at home;" but let this saying be properly understood, and it contains a great and wholesome truth. Certainly it does not mean that we ought always to lean to our own side, or to think exclusively of ourselves, and of our own households: but, in as much as God's Providence has brought some few people into closer contact with us than the rest, and bound some to us by more intimate ties of kindred and blood-we are to seek the welfare of these persons in an especial and peculiar manner; to give them the preference in the bestowing of our kindness; and to do all that honestly we can, to make ourselves acceptable and agreeable to them.

This is matter of prime importance. If people will not study to make and to keep friends

at home; if mutual forbearance is not exercised at our own fire-sides; if people are extreme to mark what is done amiss, or impatient and intolerant of views and tastes different from their own in those they live with-then most certainly they are not "rooted and grounded in love," as Christians ought to be and if they are not striving to be upon amicable and affectionate terms with all the members of their own households, they are not beginning to cultivate that most excellent grace of Charity in that place, and in that situation, where it might be cultivated with most advantage to themselves. People who are to live together, may indeed not be exactly alike in their ways of thinking upon many interesting subjects: but neither is it at all necessary for the maintenance of peace and mutual good will that they should be so. On the contrary, if all have in them a root of genuine godliness, it may be better for all parties that it should be otherwise. A wise man will never desire to associate only with such as resemble himself in every thing. In many things we all offend, and are all blind, and foolish, and mistaken, It is well that we differ in the modes both of our folly and of our wisdom, for thus, if we are all well-affectioned and honest in the main, we may set one another right; and the