faith in what Christ has done and suffered for us, and through a grateful desire of making some return for all his goodness, to those whom he is pleased to style his brethren. "Inasmuch as ye have done it to these my brethren." The children being "partakers of "flesh and blood, he also," by coming in the flesh, "partook of the same; for which reason he is not "ashamed to call them brethren." Consider duly the weight of this motive. When you do good upon the strength of it, it is as if you addressed a poor person in the following manner-" I relieve you in your "distress because of the near relation you bear to "that blessed person who has relieved me in all "mine; my ; my friend, my benefactor, my Saviour, my "God. I too was an hungred, and he gave me the "bread of life; I was thirsty, and he gave me the "water of life; I was a stranger, not belonging to "the fold, and he took me into it; I was naked, and "he clothed me with the robe of righteousness; I was "sick, and he visited me, and comforted me, and "made me whole; I was in prison, and he came to 6C me, loosed the bands of sin and death, and brought me forth into light, liberty, and salvation. You

come recommended to me as one of those whom he "condescends to call his brethren. Accept, for his "sake, what I can give you: I would it were more: "all I have is too little.

You see, then, the principle on which Christ directs that our charity should be shown. A noble, comprehensive, affecting principle it is. It involves within its compass, and supposes to be known and believed, the whole of Christianity. Thus employed,

faith has its perfect work: it is made perfect in love. The acceptance it will be sure to find is the

IIId. and last point to be considered.

Our Lord accepts such works, when done upon such a principle, as if they had been done to himself: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of these my "brethren, ye have done it unto me." And this produces a reason for his rewarding them which no other consideration would afford. Infinite mercy, after bestowing every thing upon us, has, as it were, set itself to contrive a manner in which it might become our debtor. "You have done these acts of "kindness to ME; I take upon me to recompense "them." There is something so utterly astonishing in all this, that we might have imagined some mistake crept into the text, had no other passage of Scripture conveyed to us the same idea. For that our Lord will accept and reward what shall be so done to him, can be known only from himself and his Holy Spirit.

But to reward, is the great end of his coming; as he has himself declared, in the twenty-second chapter of St. John's Revelation. "Behold, I come quickly; "and my reward is with me, to give to every man "according as his work shall be."

Before his appearance in the flesh, as at this time, he proclaimed by one of his holy prophets, that whatsoever we give to the poor he esteems as lent to himself; which much resembles the words of the text, "Ye have done it unto me." And he does not disdain to add, that he will be accountable for it; since thus we read, in the book of Proverbs, "He that

"hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord; " and look"-expect, depend upon it, be assured— "it shall be paid him again." Sir Thomas More, a famous Lord Chancellor of England, used always to say, "there was more rhetoric," more persuasive argument, "in this little sentence, than in a whole library."

Again: He assures us by his blessed apostle, that every deed of kindness which is shown in this manner towards his name, will be remembered; for "God," saith the apostle, "is not unrighteous, that he should "forget your work and labour of love, which ye have "shown towards his name," towards his name you see, "in that ye have ministered to the saints, and "do minister," still continuing, persevering in your charitable contributions; not suffering any good work of this sort which has been begun amongst you, to cease and come to nothing. Without apostolical authority, we should never have hazarded the expression here used, "God is not unrighteous, that he "should forget;" as if we might even deem him unjust, if he should not remember works of charity done. to himself in the persons of the poor. Thus every thing contributes to establish the gracious declaration in my text, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

66

"

I ask your pardon-I have omitted a word-it runs, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least "of these my brethren." Not men and women only, grown persons, are meant; children also are included; the LEAST of these.

They are not left out

of the account by our Lord, in his promises and as

A

surances of mercy: "Suffer little children to come. to me it is not the will of my Father, that one of "these little ones should perish." Though the youngest, and the least, they are still the brethren of the Redeemer. They share his love; let them share yours. "A cup of cold water only given to one of "these little ones in the name of a disciple, shall in 66 no wise lose its reward."

But it is in your power to give them much more. You have given them much more: you have ministered; continue still to minister. Through your bounty it is, that they now appear in this sacred place; their bodies neatly clothed, their minds duly instructed, and qualified with us to worship our God in the beauty of holiness.. A pleasant and confortable sight it is to behold. The world cannot show us one that is more so. Consider them as fully included in the case before us. They are in want; and they bear a near relation to Christ. They can hardly be thought, at this tender age, to have forfeited the high privileges of their baptism, in which they were made "members of Christ, children of God, and "heirs of the kingdom of heaven." And much, indeed, may it depend upon you, whether they ever do forfeit them; the great design of these excellent institutions being to afford them opportunities of instruction, which their friends are unable to give or procure for them; to ground them well in such religious principles as may render them good and useful members of society, conduct them safe through a world of temptations, and bring them to never-ending glory. But the support of the institution which is

to do this for them, depends upon your farther bounty. On this, destitute of every other help, they, under the providence of God, rely; on you their eyes and hopes are fixed, for the continuance of every advantage: and every advantage they enjoy will be continued to them, by the liberality of all such among you as shall duly meditate upon the affecting scene I have been endeavouring to represent.

This affecting scene you will as surely see, these affecting words of the great Judge you will as surely hear, as he who has declared you shall see and hear them, is faithful and true.

One thing only remains to be mentioned, that He who shall address those on the right hand in the gracious language of the text, shall afterward say also to "them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye "cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil "and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave

me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took

me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick "and in prison, and ye visited me not." On their asking, likewise, when he was seen of them in any of these afflicting circumstances, and they had thus ungratefully denied him relief, he shall answer them; "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these my brethren, ye did "it not to me." The final separation is then to be made, and that gulf fixed between them which cannot be passed; "And these"-such as had neglected to perform works of charity-" these shall