and conduct.

He looked with compassion on all men,
Even in his own

but with entire complacency on none.
disciples He beheld much that was repugnant to the purity
of his own nature, and indeed was alone in the world in
such a sense as it is impossible for us to comprehend.

The more fully any one abides in Christ, the farther will he retreat, not from intercourse with men, but from sympathy with the ungodliness of mankind. Like his Master, the Christian will not shun society with the men of this world where duty renders it necessary, but intercourse with such will always be with him a matter of duty, not of choice. He will act steadily upon the principle that "the friendship of the world is enmity with God." (Jas. iv. 4.) 3. Christ walked in love. He manifested his love by doing harm to none; by doing good to all.

Christ harmed no one by word or deed. It is true that our Lord sometimes pronounced heavy condemnation on the guilty, but even then his severity to those whom He condemned (principally the Scribes and Pharisees) was mercy to others whom it was necessary that He should warn.

We must remember also that Christ sometimes spoke with the authority of a judge, and his conduct in such cases is not an example for us-"Why dost thou judge thy brother? we must all appear before the judgment

seat of Christ."

Neither did He was reviled, he

From all that properly falls under the head of "evilspeaking" our Lord was absolutely free. return railing for railing-" When he reviled not again." Is not this part of Christ's conduct an example for us? Our Lord understood perfectly all the faults and failings of all about him. With unerring precision He could have pointed out all the evil tendencies and particular sins of each individual, yet save in the instances to which we have referred, He was as silent

respecting all the faults of others as though perfectly ignorant of them. Is he then a Christian man who delights to mention not only the real faults of others, but those imaginary ones which a malicious heart invents, and a foolish credulity and wicked uncharitableness continue to circulate. Let us take it for a rule that a slanderer is no Christian. He may say that he is, but he does not walk as Christ walked; his profession of religion is, therefore, only a cheat.

Christ injured none by violent, unjust, or deceitful conduct. He was no brawler, no striker; He never overreached any; He used no tricks to take advantage of another's ignorance. Nor must we. The man who says he abides in Christ must be gentle towards all men; he must not injure another in his person, property, or reputation. He must not only keep quite clear from all overt acts of injustice, but must maintain a conduct above the suspicion of dishonest or dishonourable dealing. If we would honour Christ, we must not be content with a repu tation for such honesty as commonly passes current. We must maintain such a character as to leave others without doubt or misgiving as to our trustworthiness. A man's religion is a poor and shallow thing, if, in point of reputation for honest dealing, it does not give him a great advantage over other men. Let no man who professes to be the servant of Christ give just occasion for that taunt,— "What do ye more than others."

But Christ manifested his love to men by doing good, as well as by refraining from doing harm to others. How simple, how beautiful, how true the description given of our Lord's conduct by his servant Peter, when he spoke of him as one "who went about doing good." (Acts x. 38.) He did good to men's bodies and to their souls. Thus He, himself, described his own beneficent ministry: "The blind

receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." (Matt. xi. 5.) Elsewhere it is said (Matt. ix. 35): "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people." (Matt. iv. 23.) Now, though we cannot like Christ perform miracles, we may yet seek to promote the good of others in the same spirit that animated him; and our Lord promised his disciples, that they should not only do the works that He did, but even greater. They could not do greater works on the bodies of men than Christ did, and He must, therefore, have referred, we think, to those spiritual miracles which are wrought in the souls of men by the agency of the Holy Ghost, yet through human instrumentality.

The Christian man must have a tender and constant solicitude for the temporal welfare of others. Those whom Christ will accept as his own in the last day, are those who clothe the naked, give shelter to the houseless, visit the sick and the prisoners. Not that by performing these acts we can merit heaven, but by refusing to take part in them we may forfeit heaven.

A man cannot be a follower of Christ and refuse it take part in those works of benevolence, whose object so man's temporal welfare.

But our great concern should be to do these "greater works" our efforts to promote man's spiritual interests must be earnest and constant; we must go about doing good; we are not to reserve our efforts for set occasions merely.

Though we cannot be always doing good, we must be ever ready to make use of each opportunity that offers. We must consider ourselves as entrusted with the carrying

M

out of that work which Christ began on earth by his personal ministry. Our Master looks to us to do this. Thus spoke Christ in reference to his disciples, in that sublime prayer which He offered to the Father, just before his departure out of the world: "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." (John xvii. 18.) If we profess to be Christ's, we are pledged to do the work of Christ. If we fulfil it, our reward will be great beyond all conception; if we leave it undone, we shall, as unprofitable servants, be cast out of Christ's presence and kingdom for ever.

III. WHY OUGHT HE THAT SAITH HE ABIDETH IN CHRIST, TO WALK AS CHRIST WALKED?

After what has been already said, it may seem unnecessary to assign any reason why a professor of Christ's religion should imitate Christ's conduct, because the duty of maintaining consistency between our profession and practice is one allowed to be binding by all. Every one sees at once that he who avows himself an adherent of any system, is by that very avowal bound to follow out the principles of that system in his own conduct. He who openly professes that he believes one course of action to be right, but actually pursues the very opposite, must expect to be branded as a hypocrite by the general consent of mankind.

But in the case of professors of religion, the obligation to be consistent is stronger than any other; and in this will be evident, if we consider how much depends on that consistency.

1. The glory of Christ depends on it.

Our Saviour in that wonderful prayer offered for his disciples just before his death, says in reference to those who believe on him, "I am glorified in them." (John xvii. 10.) How high the privilege, how weighty the responsi

bility assigned in these words to the followers of Jesus. Are you Christ's disciples? then He is glorified in you. Christ looks to you to maintain his glory in this world,and so far as you are truly his, you do glorify him. He is glorified by your abstaining from the sinful practices which others around you follow; by your constant and devout attendance on his house; by your acts of self-denying benevolence, and efforts of usefulness put forth in his name, by your meekness under provocation, by your patience in suffering; by the heavenliness of your tempers, the moderation of your words; the uprightness of your lives; by all this Christ is glorified.

On the other hand, if you profess that you know God, but in works deny him, then Christ instead of being glorified in you is dishonoured in you. You say that you abide in Christ, that you live in a relation of most intimate fellowship with him, of most absolute dependence on him; what is this, but to say that the conduct which you pursue, is one which Christ directs and approves of, that Christ is represented in you. Do you not see then that every word and act of yours, not consistent with the command of Christ, belies and dishonours Christ, and is in fact nothing less than practical blasphemy against Christ. "I am glorified in them;" but is Christ glorified by unholy tempers; by uncharitable speeches; by underhanded dealing? Be not deceived; your inconsistent conduct is much more frequently, than you suppose, laid to the account of Christ; and the consequence is, that not only do you hereby injure Christ, but you do vast injury to those who are around you, especially to those who are weak in the faith, and altogether without Christ.

"Ye are our epistles written in our hearts, known and read of all men." (2 Cor. iii. 2.) Do you consider this? Do you who profess to serve Christ reflect that the men of