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how these Christians love one another!" Would to God that more of this affection now prevailed! The obligation to the duty, and its propriety as a mark of discipleship, are unalterably the same. "A new commandment," says the Saviour, "I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." "Let brotherly love continue."-But how is Christian affection to be evidenced? Certainly not by calumny and detraction: "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour." "Charity suffereth long, and is kind: it thinketh no evil: it believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." How benign the influence of such a principle, when it appears in its genuine effects!

The relation which subsists among the disciples of Jesus should ever be remembered. "All ye are brethren." And shall brethren be at variance with each other? "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." "If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" "If, therefore, any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain."-Is there not, Christians, a peculiar energy in such exhortations as these? "Love as brethren: be pitiful, be courteous.' "Put on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any;

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even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." all things, have fervent charity among yourselves; for charity shall cover a multitude of sins."

To conclude-Are we guilty of evil speaking? Then let us humble ourselves deeply before the Lord, and resolve by his grace to reform, as well as to repent. Let us, with David, "set a watch before the door of our lips ;" and "take heed to our ways, that we offend not with our tongue." If the reputation of any has been injured by our resentment or imprudence, certainly it becomes us to make all the reparation in our power; to confess our fault, if such confession can tend in the least to repair the mischief we have done; and to vindicate the character which we have carelessly or maliciously attacked. And henceforth, as becometh persons professing godliness, "let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouth, but that which is good, to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."

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But have we suffered by evil seaking ?-Perhaps real faults have been reported to our disadvantage: then let us learn to correct them; and in humble nitence, imploring the forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ, we shall derive the highest benefit even from what we regret.-Or possibly crimes of which we are innocent, have been charged upon us. In either case, we must not avenge ourselves: "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Our wisdom is to appeal from the injustice of men, to the righteous tribunal of God, and "in patience to possess our souls." However reviled, let us "commit our way unto the Lord," and in due time "he shall bring forth our righteousness as the light, and our judgment as the noon-day." It was a wise resolution of Plato, a heathen philosopher, when told of some

calumny against him-" I will so live, as that no person shall believe them." Let us make this sentiment our own, and practically observe it. Thus "in simplicity and godly sincerity we shall have our conversation in the world ;" and with "well doing shall put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.""Finally, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

SERMON XVII.

THE TEN LEPERS CLEANSED.

LUKE Xvii. 17.

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but there are the nine?

THE miracles of Jesus Christ were many, and are

recorded for our instruction.

sympathy of his heart, and the

They teach us the power of his arm.

They confirm the fact, that "he went about doing good;" that he felt the tenderest pity for the afflicted, was ever ready to afford his aid, and to administer relief.

But the acknowledgments he received were not according to the benefits he conferred ;-far from it! An affecting proof of the truth of this remark we have in the verses connected with the text. They are highly instructive; and are adapted at once to encourage, to humble, to stimulate, and to reprove. We read thus from the eleventh verse: "And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And, as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master,

have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go, shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God. And fell down on his face, at his feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."

In this narrative, we observe,-the AFFLICTION of these men,-their APPLICATION to Jesus Christ,

the FAVOUR they received from him,-the GRATEFUL RETURN of one of their number,-and the PARTICULAR NOTICE which the Saviour took of this return.

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I. The AFFLICTION of these men:-they were lepers," and "ten" of them were together.

Our Lord, in his way to Jerusalem, " passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee." The Samaritans had shewn him very pointed disrespect: they had refused him the common rites of hospitality: but never do we find the blessed Jesus returning evil for evil-always the reverse! He favoured this

people, therefore, with a friendly visit, and bestowed, in the vicinity of their city, a signal benefit:" As he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers." This was their unhappy condition, the affliction under which they laboured: they were the subjects of a loathsome disease, in consequence of which they were ceremonially "unclean," were excluded from the synagogue, debarred from society,

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