made him whole, he bade him sin no more. Into whatever village he went, he not only healed their sick, but taught the people; and pitied them, as sheep not having a shepherd.

Without honour himself; without being distinguished as a prophet in his own country, or amongst his friends; his beneficence invidiously misrepresented, and his miracles ascribed to the agency of devils; under these circumstances, so mortifying to human weakness, he invariably persevered in the exercise of kindness, and was, not weary in well doing.

Behold him enter the cottage of humble poverty, to comfort an afflicted family, by restoring to their hopes some dear and valuable member! Behold the parent, in speechless anguish, watching the last feeble looks of her departing child! Where is the man of Nazareth to change this heart-breaking scene? Where is he, whose tenderness will comfort the parent, whose power can restore the child? He comes! the man of Nazareth approaches! his kind purpose is written in the benignity of his countenance; Be comforted, saith he to the tender mourner; thy child liveth.

See here, O Christians! the Author of your religion, the pattern of your conduct! Ye cannot, indeed, imitate him in his mira

culous powers; but in the motives of his miracles it is yours to imitate him; it is yours to adopt and cultivate that benevolence, which was eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, and comfort to the mourner.199

Like your gracious Master, you can: visit the sick, the fatherless, and the widow in their affliction, and, like him, you can feed the hungry.

Need you by any external motives be excited to distribute your bread to the hungry? Then turn your eyes upon your amiable Lord, and behold him industriously doing the same!

Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.

That divine benevolence which brought salvation to the soul, was not regardless of the wants of the body. That compassion which pitied and repaired the ruins of our nature; which brought us out of a state of darkness and servility into the light and liberty of the children of God; that large compassion extended to the minutest necessities of life. Behold it here exerting itself in the support of a multitude that wanted bread! Here was no unnecessary display of a miracle. This

multitude was in a desart place, and many of the people came from far: probably too many of them were poor, and unable to buy themselves bread in the neighbouring villages; for such, in general, were the followers of Jesus: it was charity, therefore, it was pure compassion, that gave occasion to this miracle; and here too we ought to cherish the motive, though we cannot imitate the effect.

In one respect, however, we may retain something of the miracle; and (as in the case of the loaves and fishes) in distributing our possessions, we may find them increase. Possibly the increase may not in this case, more than in the other, be immediately visible but upon the dissolution of the last great multitude, we shall perceive, that what would not, originally, have filled one basket, shall scarcely then be contained in seven.

To encourage a disposition that shall produce such an happy effect, let us contemplate our benevolent Master during the progress of this charitable miracle.2002

Possibly some such sentiments as these passed in his gracious mind upon that occa

sion.

"Behold, in this lonely wilderness, what a "multitude of my brethren! with concern "and affection do I look upon them; for they

are the work of my Father's hand. He who "made of one flesh all nations on the earth, "meant them to be the aid and support of "each other: to this end he ordained the "law of religion to consist in mutual benevo"lence: but, alas! how neglected that law, "which, indeed, it is now time for me to re" establish!

"How like unto sheep, not having a shep"herd, is this poor and ignorant multitude; "that for a while forsaking a servile and pre"carious dependence on the wealthy, hath "followed me, as poor as the poorest, into "this barren and uncomfortable desart!

...From their ignorance, indeed, I have "endeavoured to set them free, and have

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taught them many things; but the bread of "life is not alone sufficient for them; they "have now been with me three days in the "wilderness, and have eaten nothing; and I "must not send them away hungry, lest they "faint by the way. My gracious Father will

readily grant me a supernatural supply, and "I shall have the happiness of dispensing his "bounty to his creatures."

Where is the cold heart that is not warmed to charity by a scene like this? where is the narrow spirit that is not enlarged by meditating on such a subject? Where is the

selfish wretch that can behold his Saviour feeding the hungry, and dare to omit so necessary a duty? that Saviour, on whose mediation he depends for everlasting happiness, by whose kind intercession alone he must hope for the favour of God; will he dare to withhold his hand, when he calleth upon him to relieve his brethren?

It is astonishing, that those who profess to follow the principles and precepts of the Gospel, and call themselves by the name of the Son of God, should need a moment's exhortation to charity. Know they not that this is the most essential precept of the Christian dispensation? Need they be informed, that their Saviour, their Redeemer, the Judge of the world, has declared these to be the conditions of his accepting them at the last day, viz. that they shall freely have contributed to the relief of the necessitous? They need not to be informed; would to God they needed not to be exhorted! But true it is that, how. ever reasonable any duty may appear, or how strongly soever it may be enforced by the divine laws, the human mind will frequently be inattentive to it, and leave it among the objects that are known and disregarded.

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Beneficence is in itself so noble a virtue,sO distinguished by its peculiar greatness, that