kindness and love exceeding all that He had showed them before, addressing to them many words of comfort and encouragement, that their faith might not fail them altogether. But this subject is inexhaustible.

As to the teaching of our Lord, it must suffice to quote the following sentences :-" But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you And as ye would that men should

do to you, do ye also to them likewise But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Luke vi. 27-36). How well would it be for mankind, if that golden rule were universally observed, which is so briefly and tersely expressed in these words of our Lord, "AS YE WOULD THAT MEN SHOULD DO TO YOU, DO YE ALSO TO THEM LIKEWISE!" May it be written in our hearts! May we be enabled to practise it in our lives!

In the twelfth chapter of the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, we find these among many other precepts concerning the duties of a godly life. "He that giveth; let him do it with simplicity." "Let love be without dissimulation." "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another. . . . Distributing to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality." "Bless them which persecute you; bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." "Recompense to no man evil for evil." "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink, for in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good " (Rom. xii. 8-21). The writings of the Apostle are full of the inculcation and commendation

of charity. The thirteenth chapter of his First Epistle to the Corinthians, which is entirely devoted to this subject, has already been referred to.

Our space does not admit of our going on to quote, as we might do, text after text and passage after passage from St Paul's Epistles and from those of the other apostles, all of which are full of precepts and exhortations on the subject of charity. And we can only, in conclusion, very briefly refer to the Old Testament, adducing two or three passages to show that its teaching on this subject perfectly accords with that of the New.

"Ye shall

The following precepts of the Mosaic law exhibit very beautifully the great principle of charity upon which it is founded, and by which it is pervaded, and they are but a few out of many which might be quoted. "Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt" (Ex. xxii. 21). not afflict any widow, or fatherless child" (Ex. xxii. 22). "If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury" (Ex. xxii. 25). "If thou at all take thy neighbour's garment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down for that is his covering only; it is his raiment for his skin; wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious (Ex. xxii. 26-27). "If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him." (Ex. xxiii. 4, 5). "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him " (Lev. xix. 17). "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD " (Lev. xix. 18). "And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee, then thou shalt relieve him,

yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner: that he may live with thee. Take no usury of him, or increase, but fear thy God: that thy brother may live with thee. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase" (Lev. xxv. 35-37).-" And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee, thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bond-servant: but as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, shall he be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee: and then he shall depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return. unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. . . . Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour, but shalt fear thy God" (Lev. xxv. 39-43). "If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren. within any of thy gates, in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother; but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. Beware that there be not such a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought, and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in the land" (Deut. xv. 7–11). "And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years, then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy wine-press :

of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to-day " (Deut. xv. 12–15).

A glance at the number of the quotations which have been made, will suffice to show that the law of Moses abounds in precepts replete with charity, and requiring of the people the constant practice of it in all the relations of life. And it is impossible to read them without being filled with admiration. What code of laws, of any nation, is to be compared with this? Never did any mere human legislation make such provision for the poor and needy, for "the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow." The tender care manifested for them attests the divine origin of the law; which is further manifested in the adaptation of the whole law to the purpose of cultivating and cherishing sentiments of charity in the hearts of the people, a purpose such as no code of laws of man's devising was ever framed for. Nay, the law bears, if possible, even yet more fully the character of divine, in its requiring charity in the heart, and not merely laying down rules for outward conduct. Human legislation never attempted this; and the attempt would be ridiculous. But it is a beautiful and admirable feature-a peculiar and distinguishing excellency-in a law given by God, enforced by continual reference to His authority, "I, the LORD thy God, command thee." In like manner it is a peculiar and beautiful characteristic of this law, manifestly appropriate to it as a divine law, and such as indeed could not belong to any law not divine, that its precepts are enforced by reasons annexed; arguments and motives for a willing cheerful obedience. Thus the people are reminded that they were strangers and bondmen in the land of Egypt, and they are taught that therefore they are to be kind to strangers and not to oppress their

servants.

We might quote a multitude of other texts and passages concerning charity from the Old Testament, especially from

the Book of Psalms and the books of the prophets. We must refrain from doing so, and have thought it best to exhibit its teaching on this subject from the books of Moses, on which the whole system of religion developed by the Jewish prophets and psalmists was founded. And these, we see, correspond exactly with the New Testament in their teaching as to this most important point of religion.