ever provoked to anger, it was a feeling consistent with perfect kindness. He was grieved for the hardness of heart by which those whom he condescended to call his brethren were ruining their own souls, at the same time that they were despitefully using him; and he still had them in his heart to be a brother to them, and to do. them good, if it might be possible. "When he was reviled by them, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." "* And so dealt he even by his open enemies. To his humble followers," Ye are my friends," he says, "if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends. For all things, that I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you." And slow of heart though they were to apprehend his meaning, weak, and often wavering in their loyalty, and exhibiting continually tempers very unlovely, yet as friends he treats them to the last. Holy Father," thus he prays for them, "keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are." "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou John xv. 14, 15.

* 1 Pet. ii. 23.

hast loved me. And to give us the ultimate assurance of his constant sympathy, he puts himself forth as the party personally aggrieved or benefited by the neglect or the charity of those whom he will judge at the great day of reckoning: "Inasmuch as ye did it, or did it not, to one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it, or did it not, to me."†

This may suffice, I hope, for exposition of our duty. We come now to that which contains an argument for its due discharge. I was to consider,

II. Secondly, the effect which this "likemindedness one towards another" is calculated to produce upon our devotions, and upon our religious service generally.

I repeat, then, it brings us into such a frame and posture of mind as is most congenial to devotional exercises, and as is indeed absolutely necessary in order to an acceptable worship and obedience. God will not be served by halves, or be content to be served deceitfully. He will not acknowledge a mere devotee or pietist for a true believer in HIM who laid down his life for his friends. He will not admit as genuine, professions of zeal to his unseen self, where love to his seen creatures, among whom the zealot lives, is wanting. Yea, he bids such professors stand. * John xvii. 11, 23. See Matt. xxv. 40, 45.

aloof, and "bring no more vain oblations."* "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." He would not have accepted the centurion in the building of a synagogue or place of worship to his honour, had he not also seen his heart, that he loved the nation for whose use he built it. But when his Spirit, like a refiner's fire, has purified the hearts of men from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness, then they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness, and whatsoever they do in the way of obedience, shall be pleasant unto the Lord, and accepted in Jesus Christ.

I will confine myself, however, to the one chief point which I suppose the apostle has principally in view in the text; I mean the actual worship of Almighty God.

Prayer is like the ladder in Jacob's vision, by which the soul ascends to God, and his ministering spirits and his grace come down to man. It is that act of wrestling for the blessing, without which it cannot be obtained. Whatsoever spoils prayer therefore spoils all, and whatsoever helps prayer helps all-helps us on the whole + Matt. v. 23, 24.

* Isa. i. 13.

road to glory. We are expressly commanded. also, when we would draw nigh to God in devotional exercises, to pray for one another, and as we have opportunity, with one another, and a peculiar blessing is promised to our obedience.

But how are we to pray together if we cannot live together, or mutually to intercede for one another if we are not truly concerned for one another's welfare? How are we to glorify God in harmonious praises, with one mind (as the text hath it) and one mouth, if there be no harmony of desire and purpose, as there cannot be, if there be bitter envyings and strife in our hearts, and mutual distrust and jealousies?

If we forgive not men their trespasses, we pray (if we adopt the words assigned us by our Master) against ourselves, asking for our own damnation, and after no form imaginable can we use the words of intercession with any meaning. How can he that liveth for himself alone, at any time lift up his heart to God for all sorts and conditions of men? How can he that is studying his revenge ask a blessing on his enemy? And how is the soul agitated with turbulent passions, full of debate, contention, covetousness; panting for gain or promotion to its brother's detrimenthow is the soul, thus occupied and thus distracted, calmly to prostrate itself before the God of peace -to ask and seek in the name of the Prince of

VOL. III.

H

peace, to fix its view and its desires stedfastly on the haven of peace above, or to desire the sincere milk of the word, in the hearing of the Gospel of peace?

But suppose a company of people, from whom all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking is put away, with all malice— suppose them loving one another with a pure heart fervently, confiding in one another, and each conscious and sensible of his brother's good will-suppose them met together for prayer ;met together in the church. What a different thing is this! Take our own most beautiful church service as that which they are all come to join in. How excellently does the work, and the whole method laid down for proceeding in it, fit and suit them! How naturally will they make the words in which the minister leads them, their own! How well accommodated to the state of their minds is the whole business! With what freedom and fervency of spirit will they engage in it, and how effectually will they strengthen one another's hands in God!

Those parts of the service especially which to the selfish and uncharitable are the dullest and the most unmeaning, to them will be most interesting and most delightful. Look, for instance, at the intercessions of our Litany; for the king, for magistrates, for the universal church, for