This virtuous difpofition, fo powerfully recommended in our holy Teacher's precepts, was more fully reprefented and embodied to us in his own example. It was in mercy to mankind, that he left his Father's bofom, and fubmitted to experience in his own perfon the infirmities, the forrows, and the wants of our nature. His whole pilgrimage on earth was one continued exercife of cha

rity to men. He went about doing good, difpenfing benevolence both temporal and fpiritual, healing the difeafes of the body, and correcting the diforders of the foul, speaking confolation to the broken-hearted, and preaching the glad tidings of falvation to all. This he did impartially to those who valued, and to those who defpifed his mercy, to Publicans and Sinners, and to Pharifees and Scribes. His beneficence to mankind, thus continued through a life of toil and forrow for our fakes, he still more abundantly testified by his death. To bring us into a state of reconciliation with God, and to procure for us that mercy at his Father's hands, which we had forfeited by our fins, and which we were unable to recover by any act or fervice of our own, he submitted to the greatest agonies that can befal our nature. And though they were inflicted on him.

through

through the malice of his perfecutors, yet so merciful was his difpofition, and fo folicitous was his mind for the general good of all, not excepting those who had done the worst to him, that even in the extremities of his fufferings he put up this prayer for his murderers, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

And this virtuous difpofition, which he exercised himself in fo eminent a degree, he has earnestly recommended to the imitation of all his Difciples: "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one an

other as I have loved alfo love you: that ye one another." As he had given this commandment an energy and compass unknown to the Gentiles and unacknowledged by the Jews, he had good reafon to call it a new commandment; and he therefore takes the exercife' of this virtue for the peculiar badge of his profeffion : By this fhall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another 5."

From this precept and example we may collect who are the merciful in the eye of our religion. Senfible of the undeserved goodnefs, which they derive from the Father of

* John xiii. 34, 35.

mercies,

mercies, they are anxious to exprefs their gratitude by mercy to their brethren. They have a feeling fentiment of affection for them, as children of the fame Father, partakers of the fame nature, and inheritors of the fame graces. The charity, which they feel for them in their hearts, they are ready to ex-· press in their actions. They grudge no facrifice of time or labour or expence or ease to do them good. They fhew this charity without partiality or respect of persons not only to their neighbours in the literal fenfe, but to all with whom they are allied by the common bonds of humanity. But not contenting themselves with this general exercise of benevolence, they practise it in cafes, where a facrifice is made of the more turbulent paffions of our nature; they suppress all motions of anger and malice against their brethren; they check every disposition to revenge or retaliate wrongs; they freely forgive all injuries received; and while they are careful not to do injuries or to give offence to others, yet where a fhadow of injury has been given, or offence however groundless has been taken, they make no delay to folicit reconciliation. On the whole, that there may be no reftriction in their exercife of

mercy,

mercy, they do good even to their enemies, and they render good for evil.

All they, who in these refpects obey the law, and copy the example of their divine Mafter, have a title to the name and character of the Merciful, and confequently have a portion in the bleffing here affigned, that they Shall obtain mercy.

In the ordinary courfe of things they will obtain this recompence with men. When in all their focial intercourse they shew a forbearing and forgiving, a merciful and charitable difpofition, by the natural order of providence they will engage from men the exercife of the fame difpofition in return. the spirit of our Saviour's promise applies more especially, perhaps entirely, to the mercy which they may hope from God.

But

This motive had little or no influence upon the Heathens, as they had little or no notion of a fuperintending providence and the remunerating care of Heaven. And therefore, when they had opportunity to exercise a spirit of revenge, they were feldom restrained by the apprehenfion, that in the viciffitude of things they might be expofed to a severe retaliation from the hands of men.

Nor

Nor did this motive operate with great effect upon the Jews, who were taught of God himself his nature and attributes, and among these his compaffion and clemency. To this people he appeared in the majesty of his justice more than in the fofter beams of mercy, as the Law which he gave them denounced certain punishments for certain tranfgreffions without mitigation or reprieve. Notwithstanding this, even under that feverer Dispensation he is frequently characterized as long suffering and of great mercy, as full of compaffion and forgiveness, even to those who had rebelled against him, provided they returned again in repentance; as fhewing mercy to thousands of them that love him and keep his commandments. This divine attribute is the continual theme of the Pfalmist, who had known it by experience both in his domestic and his civil capacity. And there is no fentiment which has a more frequent recurrence in the book of Pfalms than this, "that his mercy endureth for ever.' This mercy he was always ready to fhew to them, who repented of their fins, corrected and amended their ways, and turned unto him with all their hearts. It was particularly fhewn to them, who copied him in the fame attribute of mercy. Thus the Pfalmift af